Greek Police has dismantled a gang that was enabling students to pass exams in order to obtain a professional aircraft pilot’s license. Neither the gang nor the brainless students had scruple to obtain a license that could risk the lives of hundreds of people.
The gang accused of rigging the exams for obtaining a professional aircraft pilot’s license, was dismantled by the Department of Prosecution of Criminal Organizations and Transnational Affairs of the Directorate of Security.
In an operation that took place on Thursday, May 11, in the broader area of Athens, arrested were three men, aged 43, 69 and 70, as gang members as well as two more people, who were being examined as prospective aircraft pilots, reported daily ethnos.
Against them, as well as for another 16 people, a case file was filed for a case-by-case criminal organization-gang, obtaining a false certificate, as an accomplice, as a follower and by profession, as well as for an attempt to obtain a false certificate as an accomplice.
According to Greek Police the gang launched its operation in January 2023 the latest and was falsifying the results of the examination process for obtaining an aircraft pilot’s license by using audio-visual equipment. installed in the inside of shirts sleeves.
The examinees for the acquisition of a professional aircraft pilot’s license were mainly students of pilot schools, who were either unable to obtain the specific license after unsuccessful attempts or did not want to study the theoretical material of the examined courses.
The license candidates were approached either by the gang members or by people who had managed to obtain the license in the same irregular way or through people who were in the field of aviation as instructors for pilot candidates.
The candidates were informed about the methodology and guided them through the use of audio-visual devices to select the correct answers.
It is noted that the accused preferred exams of a certified company in a European country, as the candidates’ questions were published on an online platform and thus the gang members could see the correct answers.
If the candidate was in a pilot school abroad, the gang granted him a certificate of studies from a corresponding school member of the organization based in a city in Northern Greece. The certificate would falsely confirm the student’s participation in the theoretical course.
Foreign candidates residing abroad were examined at the company’s center in Greece, without their actions being noticed.
The gang managed to grant professional pilot’s licenses to at least five people.
Police estimates that the defendants obtained a total amount of around 40,000 euros, after each candidate paid the amount of 7,800 euros in average.
At the same time, it has been confirmed that 10 more people were previously granted pilot’s licenses.
During the operation police confiscated the amount of 5,570 euros, 7 micro cameras, 9 “lice” type headphones, 2 shirts with an electronic device with a micro camera embedded in their inner part and on the left sleeve, as well as a number of sim cards, usb and tablets.
The arrested were taken to the public prosecutor, while police investigation continues.
PS I’m glad I don;t plan to travel by airplane soon….
