Greek Police has dismantled an organized crime group involved in trafficking of human eggs and illegal adoptions. The gang had its headquarters in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. Investigation led to the arrest of 12 people and the identification of 10 more members of the criminal organization. In total, the case involved 66 individuals, including a lawyer, an obstetrician-gynaecologist and employees of private clinics. Among the arrestees are reportedly three women from Georgia who had a leading role in in the criminal organization.
The average cost of an illegal adoption was between 25,000 – 28,000 euros. However, there were cases where adopting couples had to pay 30,000, as a woman told a private Greek television channel. “The brighter the color of the baby, the highest the price,” media reported.
Greek law enforcement authorities were supported by the Europol since the early stages of the investigation against the illegal adoptions and human egg trafficking gang.
€25 000 to €28 000 per illegal adoption
Active since 2016, the criminal network recruited vulnerable pregnant women from Bulgaria. The group transported them to Thessaloniki, Greece where they were placed under medical observation and sent to private hospitals to deliver their children. The newborns were then illegally adopted for between €25 000 and €28 000 each. The fees included paying the biological mother, all legal expenses, hospitalisation, delivery itself and the members of the criminal group. Some of the mothers brought to Greece were also used as surrogates.
The same criminal group was also involved in ovum trafficking. The criminals recruited donors in Greece, mainly from Bulgaria, Georgia and Russia. The women were then transferred to Thessaloniki to undergo a series of fertility treatments to increase the number of ova.
At least half a million euros in profit
During the action day, officers from the Hellenic Police conducted 12 house searches and arrested 12 individuals suspected of belonging to a criminal group. The investigation led to the identification of 10 more members of the criminal organization. In total, the case involved 66 individuals, including a lawyer, an obstetrician-gynaecologist and employees of private clinics.
Officers seized €13 000 in cash, three cars, mobile phones and electronic devices, various documents related to adoption and surrogate procedures, birth certificates and bank statements.
According to a Europol press release, it is estimated that the criminal activity generated at least €500 000. The money was laundered through financial institutions, luxury goods and properties. Europol conducted operational and financial analysis, which confirmed the involvement of individuals and corroborated other evidence collected in the investigation.
Europol supported the investigation since the early stages by facilitating secure information exchange, providing operational and analytical support, and intelligence and financing one operational meeting. One Europol expert was also deployed in Greece on the action day to perform live cross-checks of operational data against Europol’s databases.
PS Had legal adoptions in Greece be more easy, there may have been no space for illegal adoptions gangs.
