Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
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Greek police dismantled a trafficking ring exploiting Nepali workers in farms. Europol assists in expanding the investigation across Europe.
ATHENS (Reuters) -Greece has dismantled a criminal ring which trafficked dozens of Nepali men, beat them and forced them to work in farms across the country in degrading conditions with little or no payment, police said on Thursday.
Police have charged 17 people, including 10 Pakistani nationals, with participating in the gang which operated at least since November 2024. Another 100 people have been arrested for lacking legal residence permits.
The men were working and living in "unsanitary and degrading conditions", police said in a statement. The European Union's law enforcement agency Europol assisted in the operation and will expand the investigation into other countries.
One of the suspected ring members, a 29-year-old Nepali woman, was tasked with advertising the jobs in Greece and Europe and recruiting the men who were working legally in Balkan countries, including Romania, promising better wages and good working conditions.
The gang would confiscate the victims' identification documents when they arrived in Greece and some were beaten up or kidnapped, if they tried to leave, and forced to pay ransoms for their release.
Police said the men, who lived in temporary shelters or warehouses in central Greece and the southwestern Peloponnese peninsula, worked in harsh conditions, getting very little rest and receiving minimal wages.
A prosecutor is looking into the case.
(Reporting by Yannis Souliotis and Renee Maltezou, editing by Ed Osmond)
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of people for exploitation, often involving forced labor, sexual exploitation, or involuntary servitude. It is a serious crime and a violation of human rights.
Financial crime refers to illegal activities that result in financial gain, such as fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement. These crimes can have significant impacts on individuals and the economy.
Employment opportunities refer to available jobs or positions that individuals can apply for. These opportunities can vary by industry, location, and skill requirements.
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