Newsroom
In a dramatic operation earlier this week, Greek police, in collaboration with NGOs OUR RESCUE and A21, dismantled a large sex trafficking ring allegedly run by a 73-year-old woman, known only as “Marina,” who has been incarcerated in Korydallos prison for her previous involvement in organized crime. Shockingly, the elderly woman and her daughter, who is also implicated, managed to keep their illicit enterprise running from behind bars.
According to authorities, the two women held the top positions in a criminal network that exploited vulnerable women through a series of brothels scattered across Athens. The operation resulted in the arrest of 26 people and the charging of six others.
What makes this case particularly chilling is the way Marina and her daughter evaded detection. While Marina remained behind bars, her daughter took the reins of the operation, acting under her mother’s orders. The pair ran the brothels by using "straw men"—foreigners, mostly Bulgarian nationals, who were either absent from Greece or had already passed away by the time the properties were leased. This clever tactic made it almost impossible for law enforcement to trace the brothels back to their true operators.
The trafficking ring was run with military precision. Bulgarian and Colombian operatives handled the transportation and exploitation of women, many from Latin America, bringing them into the operation under false promises of work and shelter. Once in Athens, the women were held captive, forced to perform sexual acts, and threatened with violence.
A particularly disturbing incident occurred in December, when a Bulgarian man used force to abduct a Colombian woman, holding her in an Athens apartment for six days. During her captivity, she was drugged and coerced into posing as a prostitute.
Other members of the network, including two Bulgarian women, were responsible for recruiting more victims and managing the daily operations of the brothels. One woman frequently communicated with the family duo, collecting profits from the brothels and funneling them back to the 73-year-old woman’s daughter.
In an attempt to further increase their illegal gains, one member of the ring also tampered with electricity meters at the brothels, ensuring they recorded lower usage to minimize costs.
The network’s financial operations were also handled by an accountant from Ilion, who used his professional expertise to facilitate property leases, subleases, and falsify documents that hid the criminal activity.
As part of the crackdown, police conducted raids on several brothels, residences, and an accounting office between February 14 and 15. The operation yielded significant evidence, including two cars, numerous digital devices such as mobile phones and computers, documents related to property leases, and €21,762 in cash.
Most importantly, authorities were able to rescue 24 women, 20 of whom are believed to have been victims of trafficking. Four were officially identified as trafficking victims. These women are now receiving support and protection from the NGOs involved in the operation.
This bust sheds light on the disturbing reality of how human trafficking can operate under the radar, even within a family-run operation, and highlights the importance of continued vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement and organizations fighting human trafficking.
