Greece's location, on the route for illegal narcotics from production centers in the Middle East and Asia into Europe and North America, exacerbates two drug-related problems. Those problems are the control of drug transfers through Greek territory and the increase of drug use by Greek citizens.

One of the major routes for the transportation of heroine and opium from Turkey and the Middle East to Western Europe is through the Greek-Turkish border in Thrace and then through the Balkans. Greek authorities have been quite successful in intercepting a high percentage of shipments along this route. Drugs also move on small boats from western Greece to Italy.

As the EU member country located farthest to the east, Greece requires increased cooperation both from its European partners and from other neighboring countries to gain multilateral control of the problem. The Greek government has been active in the EU's narcotics control groups and in the Dublin Group, which monitors international drug movements in strategic corridors such as the "Balkan route" from the Middle East into Europe. In 1992 Greece signed an agreement with Russia for cooperation and mutual assistance in narcotics cases. Greece has ratified the 1988 United Nations Convention on Drugs, although its drug legislation is not yet in full conformity with the terms of that agreement.

The Customs Police and the Hellenic Police are the primary agencies of drug law enforcement. A new state narcotics agency, the Okana, was established under the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Social Security in 1993 to coordinate the reduction of narcotics demand. The Central Narcotics Council, activated in 1993, coordinates drug enforcement activities among the Hellenic Police, the Coast Guard, and the Customs Police. In 1992 several heroin dealers apprehended in Greece received life sentences in prison. Although several police officers were convicted of drug trafficking in 1992, narcotics-related corruption among government officials has been rare in Greece. Legislation passed in 1993 stiffened penalties for drug trafficking and use.

Data as of December 1994

NOTE: The information regarding Greece on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Greece Narcotics Sales information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Greece Narcotics Sales should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.