Greek customs officers seized an unusual mix of contraband in the first half of 2026, including narcotics, undeclared ca...

Greek customs officers seized an unusual mix of contraband in the first half of 2026, including narcotics, undeclared cash, exotic parrots, weapons, and a piece of a protected fossilized tree trunk, according to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Inspections ran from January through June at airports, ports, and land border crossings across the country. X-ray screening systems and specially trained detector dogs were deployed at major checkpoints including Athens International Airport, Thessaloniki Airport, and crossings at Evzones, Kipi, Kakavia, Kastanies, and Mytilene. Officers intercepted large sums of undeclared cash on flights arriving from Istanbul, Doha, Addis Ababa, Tirana, New York, and Beirut. Several arrests were made following drug discoveries, with khat, cannabis, and THC found hidden in passenger luggage and commercial shipments at Athens Airport. Among the more striking finds, customs officers at Mytilene Airport confiscated part of a fossilized tree trunk from the Lesvos Petrified Forest, a UNESCO Global Geopark and protected Natura 2000 site. The fossil was valued at over 7,000 euros and was being carried by a foreign passenger. It will be returned to the Museum of Natural History of the Lesvos Petrified Forest. At the Kipi border crossing, officers seized two red macaw parrots along with illegal medicines, pesticides, gold jewelry, clothing, perfumes, and industrial equipment. Weapons confiscated across border crossings and ports included air rifles, knives, daggers, and batons, primarily from travelers arriving from Turkey, with suspects referred to prosecutors under Greek weapons law. Millions of smuggled cigarettes and illegal alcohol shipments concealed in passenger vehicles were also uncovered. AADE said the results reflect the operational readiness of Greece's customs services and the effectiveness of modern screening technology in tackling cross-border crime. #Greece #Customs #Smuggling