Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis has vowed to intensify efforts to combat organized crime in Crete, warning that the "rule of the strong by arbitrary actions is unacceptable" and that the government will no longer tolerate lawlessness.
"Security is the most valuable good sought by all citizens, residents, and visitors," Mr. Chrysochoidis said during a visit to Chania, congratulating local police on their recent success in dismantling a major criminal organization on the island.
He praised the effectiveness of the national Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE), a new agency which in its first year has arrested over 1,200 suspects and investigated crimes causing more than €20 million in public losses.
He pledged to reinforce the DAO-E's Cretan branch with more personnel.
Addressing the ongoing investigation into the OPEKEPE farm subsidy scandal, which has been centered in Crete, Mr. Chrysochoidis stressed that law-abiding farmers are not the target.
"Our goal is to dismantle criminal rings that illegally take subsidies meant for hardworking farmers," he said.