Seatrade Maritime: Piraeus ‘port of choice’ for illicit China – EU trade

In recent weeks Greece’s port of Piraeus has become the entry epicenter of the illicit trade between the European Union and China as officials reported the seizure of a massive amount of goods.

The seizures are part of an ongoing monitoring operation against trade which is costing the EU millions in revenues.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said it has brought charges against six individuals, including two customs officers, for allegedly being involved in criminal networks flooding the EU market with goods fraudulently imported from China.

The six are being charged in relation to a raid that happened at the port at the end of June and which resulted in the seizure of 2,435 shipping containers that were filled with illegally imported goods, primarily e-bikes, textiles, and footwear. The illegal goods seizure is the largest to date, and could have caused €250 million in damages through evading customs duties and value added tax (VAT).

Code-named ‘Calypso’. the EPPO’s investigation saw coordinated raids across Greece, Spain, France, and Bulgaria targeting criminal networks managing the entire circuit of importing illegal goods from China into the EU. The networks, which are mainly controlled by Chinese nationals, are also involved in money laundering. During the raid, 10 suspects were arrested, including two customs officers and four customs brokers.

The two customs officers have been charged with repeated false certification, causing unlawful gains and damage to the EU budget, and abetting customs fraud. The four customs brokers are facing charges of repeated customs fraud, as well as inciting false certification.

The port of Piraeus, which in 2024 handled 4.2 millon teu, has become the entry port of choice for the illicit trade, according to EPPO. A network of professional enablers at the port facilitates the entry of the goods into EU markets through undervaluation or misclassification, thus enabling the importers to evade custom duties. Through a chain of buffer and shell companies, the goods are then sold to companies in specific countries and find their way to the market.

EPPO is highlighting that the first 500 containers were seized during the raid in June, with an additional 1,935 containers that were in transit to the EU also being seized upon arrival at Piraeus. The seized containers are currently undergoing inspection, with all revealing similar fraudulent practices of mis-declaration and under valuation.

EPPO says the fraudulent, illegal importation of goods into the EU has been ongoing for at least eight years, causing an estimated loss of at least €350m in customs duties and €450m in VAT.