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DE RUEHIK #0031/01 1831242
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 021242Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0457
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0500

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THESSALONIKI 000031 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL SMIG SNAR SOCI GR
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NOTES 
 
REF: A) 08 THESSALONIKI 078, B) THESSALONIKI 030 
 
THESSALONI 00000031  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Following is a summary of last month's major developments in 
Northern Greece: 
 
EU ELECTIONS: GOVERNING ND LOSES GROUND TO FAR RIGHT IN NORTH 
 
¶1.  (SBU)In the June Euro-parliament elections, the governing 
center-right New Democracy party suffered its biggest losses 
ever in the traditional stronghold of northern Greece, declining 
by more than 10% since the last Euro-elections of 2004. 
Commentators attributed the result to rising popularity of far 
right LAOS and nationalist "Pan-Hellenic Macedonian Front", 
especially among disenchanted conservative voters. These parties 
enjoyed their highest percentages of the vote in Thessaloniki, 
with 9.82% and 4.5% respectively. ND scored poorly in Thrace as 
well, apparently paying the price for the direct linkage of the 
Vatopedi monastery scandal to the area (Vistonida lake, central 
to the affair, is in Thrace) (Ref A). 
 
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN NORTHERN GREECE INCREASES, LOCALS REACT 
TO PLANS FOR SHELTERS IN THE REGION 
 
¶2.  (U)On June 21, local media reported that according to 
Thessaloniki police, there are around 5,000 illegal immigrants, 
including "bogus asylum seekers"  living in Thessaloniki, mostly 
from Albania, former Republics of the USSR and Africa.  Police 
report an increase of illegal immigrants' arrests of 30% for the 
first half of 2009. Also, Thessaloniki police arrested 99 
smugglers over the same period.  During June, in different 
incidents across Macedonia and Thrace, police arrested a total 
of 114 illegal immigrants, including 10 minors from Iraq, and 15 
smugglers, including a former police officer from Greece.  GoG 
announced last month it was planning to establish shelters for 
illegal immigrants in Northern Greece.  Among the locations the 
local press mentioned, are the former facilities of the Voice of 
America in the towns of Kavala and Xanthi.  The news provoked 
strong reactions from local media and citizens, some of whom 
criticized the government for allegedly dumping problems on 
northern Greece and destabilizing Thrace by increasing the 
number of Muslims in the area. 
 
NORTHERN GREEK BUSINESSES SERIOUSLY HURT BY FINANCIAL CRISIS 
 
 
¶3.  (U) On June 24, the Federation of Industries of Northern 
Greece announced the results of a poll among 197 of its members, 
concluding that 83% of those asked, feel that the operations and 
results of their businesses have been affected negatively by the 
current climate.  Businesses complained of reduced sales and 
profits, and serious liquidity problems.  More than 50% of the 
respondents have had to lay off personnel.  Endangered 
industries include textiles, fishing and fruit processing. 
 
 
TRAFFICKING:  GREECE-ALBANIA CONFERENCE ON FIGHTING CHILD 
TRAFFICKING 
 
¶4.  (U) On June 15-16, the Greek MFA and Ministry of Health, the 
local NGO "Arsis" and the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a 
conference against child trafficking in the city of 
Thessaloniki.  The initiative followed the ratification by both 
Parliaments of a bilateral agreement on the issue between the 
two countries and was attended by government authorities and 
NGOs from Greece and Albania.  The organizers told post of their 
intention to follow up with a conference in the fall in Albania. 
Also, on June 19, local media reported that the Bulgarian 
authorities arrested three Bulgarians for operating an infant 
trafficking ring, whereby they sold newborns to couples from 
Northern Greece.  In another incident, on June 24, police 
arrested two Bulgarians in Thessaloniki for apparently 
trafficking a Bulgarian mother and her two minor children. 
 
ARSON ATTACKS IN NORTHERN GREECE 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On June 1, unknown culprits torched two vans belonging 
to the national TV station "ALPHA".  On June 03, an improvised 
incendiary device exploded at the entrance of the municipal TV 
station.  Minor damages caused and no arrests made. The 
organization "Illegals' Convention/Ambassadors of Erebus" 
claimed responsibility for the attack. On June 03, an 
inflammable liquid set on fire two vehicles of the Hellenic 
Telecommunications Organization.  Material damages were caused. 
The organization "Arsonists' Solidarity" claimed responsibility 
for the attack.  On June 09, an improvised incendiary device 
exploded at the entrance of the Commercial Bank, causing minor 
damage.  On June 10, a similar explosion occurred at the 
entrance of the Millenium Bank, causing minor damage.  On June 
25, unidentified people planted and set on fire four gas 
canisters at the entrance of a Citibank branch in the town of 
Kavala. The explosion and fire caused damage to the bank's 
 
THESSALONI 00000031  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
equipment and furniture. On June 29, in the town of Xanthi, 
three containers of hydrochloric acid were thrown at a balcony, 
one floor below the local offices of New Democracy. Minor damage 
was caused.  On June 30, two explosive devices exploded under 
two parked cars belonging to personnel of the Albanian Consulate 
General.  The cars were partly damaged, but no injuries occurred. 
 
ARRESTS FOR SMUGGLING OF WEAPONS, EXPLOSIVES AND NARCOTICS 
 
¶6.  (SBU) On June 13, police arrested in Thessaloniki two Greeks 
and a Bulgarian for heroin smuggling and dealing.   Local media 
reported the three had recently sold 10 kilos of heroin in the 
area, while another 350 grams were found in their possession and 
confiscated.  On June 19, police arrested a Romanian national at 
Thessaloniki's "Makedonia" airport, for trying to smuggle 4.5 
kilos of heroin. According to the press, the culprit confessed 
to having bought the drug in Turkey and planning to sell it in 
the UK. On June 20, Greek police arrested four Bulgarians on the 
Greek-Bulgarian border, for trying to smuggle into the country 
three pistols, an AK47 and TNT. Police sources stressed there 
was no indication of a terrorist connection, but it is likely 
the arrested are members of a wider weapons smuggling ring.  On 
June 30, customs officers arrested a Lithuanian national on the 
Greek-Turkish border carrying 7.5 kilos of heroin in his 
luggage. 
 
CREDIT CARD FRAUD RING DISMANTLED IN THESSALONIKI 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On June 10, police in the Northern Greek areas of 
Thessaloniki and Halkidiki arrested 14 people (Macedonian, 
Bulgarian and a Greek) on charges of credit card fraud and 
confiscated hundreds of fraudulent cards in a home lab.  Up to 
the time of their arrest, the group had managed to make 
withdrawals in excess of 500,000 by using skimming techniques. 
According to police sources, since 2007, Thessaloniki police 
have arrested a total of 44 people on credit card fraud charges, 
making it one of the most successful European cities in fighting 
credit card fraud. 
 
ENFORCING IPR:  POLICE CONFISCATE PIRATED MUSIC AND MOVIE DISCS 
 
¶8.  (U) In three different cases, police in northern Greece 
arrested and fined six foreign nationals, four of them from 
Pakistan, for possessing a total of 1,473 pirated CDs and DVDs. 
The police confiscated the pirated material. 
 
U.S CONSULATE GENERAL EVENTS AND INITIATIVES 
 
¶9. (SBU) On June 01-04, the Consulate General, in co-operation 
with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce and the SECI 
Center, organized a conference on trans-border cooperation and 
Cyber Crime in the northern Greek town of Drama. Participants 
included members of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary 
from Albanian, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, 
Serbia and Turkey. (Ref b) 
 
-- From June 04-08, the amphibious assault vessel USS Bataan 
made the first official ship visit to the port of Thessaloniki 
in three years. Post organized a series of events for the 
occasion, including a well-attended reception, a media tour and 
a friendly basketball game between the crew and a local police 
team.  Local reaction to the visit was enthusiastic.  The press 
reported it factually.  The Communist Party of Greece issued a 
statement "condemning" it. 
 
-- On June 21, the Consulate General, in co-operation with the 
American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association 
(AHEPA) Greece, held a ceremony to unveil the new bust of 
General James Van Fleet in the northwestern town of Kastoria. 
The bust was first dedicated in Kastoria in 1955 in memory of 
the General's contribution to the Greek Civil War.  It was 
destroyed in 1986 as was its replacement, in 1999.  The 
Consulate, AHEPA, local business people and the Van Fleet family 
have collaborated for the past three years to erect a new bust 
and build a small museum to house it, over the objections of a 
small group of leftists who have, until now, successfully 
intimidated Kastoria's municipal council from approving the 
required permits.  Local left-leaning papers have criticized the 
initiative. 
 
THRACE JOURNALIST PRAISES U.S. MULTI-ETHNIC MODEL FOLLOWING IV 
 
 
¶10. (U) International Visitors program grantee and Thrace 
journalist and municipal councilor Damon Damianos praised 
America's success in creating a multi-ethnic society during an 
interview with the local press following his return from the 
United States, where he participated in the "Managing Diversity 
in a Multi-Ethnic Society" program. In the interview, he 
underlined his admiration for the advanced stage of civil 
 
THESSALONI 00000031  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
society, the country's multicultural features and the high 
levels of religious tolerance.  Mr. Damianos, an outspoken 
advocate of minority rights, said he would apply what he learned 
in the U.S. to his efforts to promote multi-ethnicity in Thrace. 
YEE