Greece has activated a comprehensive new legal framework allowing undercover police officers and authorized civilians to assume fully fabricated identities, open bank accounts and conduct commercial transactions to infiltrate organized crime and terrorist networks.
The joint ministerial decision, signed by Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis and Deputy Economy Minister Thanos Petralias, took effect this week.
It aims to modernize the state’s arsenal against increasingly sophisticated criminal syndicates by codifying practices that previously operated in a legal gray area.
Under the new rules, specialized investigators can now legally operate with state-issued false documents — including ID cards, passports and tax numbers — to build deep cover stories. Crucially, the measure extends these capabilities to private individuals recruited to assist police operations, subject to strict supervision.
The framework allows operatives to construct a credible financial and professional existence. With approval from the head of the relevant investigative unit, undercover agents may:
Open bank accounts and conduct transactions with Greek and international financial institutions.
Lease property, vehicles or aircraft.
Sign contracts and engage in the import or export of goods.
Set up landline, mobile and internet connections under their assumed names.
Authorities argue these powers are essential to penetrate tight-knit groups where electronic surveillance alone is insufficient.
Funding for these sensitive missions will be drawn from a special secret account held at the Bank of Greece.
While the government insists the measures bring Greece in line with European standards, the framework has drawn scrutiny for its internal oversight structure.
Decisions to authorize deep-cover operations and issue fake documentation are made by senior police and administrative officials rather than judges.
Judicial authorities are typically notified only after an operation has concluded, raising concerns among civil liberties advocates about the lack of prior independent checks.
The overhaul comes as the government launches a new elite division, dubbed the “Greek FBI,” designed to tackle a surge in contract killings and high-level corruption.
By Yiorgos Pappous