They earned tens of millions of euros, investing in hotels and luxury villas in Northern Greece and the Aegean islands. The leader, orchestrating operations from Dubai, ordered the executions of the last remaining members of the Greek Mafia.

The case file detailing the activities of the so-called “cigarette smugglers” gang—named for their primary involvement in smuggling and counterfeit tobacco products—serves as an “Atlas” of domestic organized crime. It contains the names of all the major figures of the criminal underworld, both those in prison and those still at large.

The operations of the gang, led by “Entik” (also known as “The Voice”), span a vast criminal enterprise, including contract killings and ongoing gang wars. The file explicitly names the next targets in an underworld conflict that has been raging since the 1980s, with each generation of criminals rising and eliminating their rivals.

In his effort to wipe out the last remaining figures of the so-called Greek Mafia, “Entik” was reportedly willing to pay up to a million euros per assassination. His purge claimed the lives of notorious criminals, including Giannis Skaftouros, Vasilis Roumpetis, Dionysis Mouzakitis, and the most recent victim, Vangelis Zambounis.

Criminals and Terrorists: A Merging Network

The case file, as revealed by Proto Thema, explains why specific individuals were targeted, how different criminal factions connect inside prisons, and how crime and terrorism suspects interact—confirming long-standing theories about the intersection of organized crime and urban guerrilla groups.

The gang was also involved in kidnappings and planting explosive devices to settle financial disputes. A particularly revealing section of the case file describes how they extorted pawnshop owner Richardos Mylonas. This method was also used in at least two other cases of business intimidation.

In the case of Richardos, the gang was hired to force him to settle a debt with a Turkish associate over a gold transaction. To demonstrate their power, they planted two bombs at his pawnshops in Glyfada and Ilion in the summer of last year. The case illustrates how the “Cigarette Smugglers” or “Ukrainians” handled financial disputes between individuals.

Expanding Operations to Mykonos

The gang’s ambitions extended beyond smuggling, extortion, and assassination—they also sought control over Mykonos, Greece’s most lucrative island for organized crime. The case file outlines their two-pronged strategy:

1. Establish businesses in peripheral areas of Mykonos to infiltrate the nightlife and dominate the protection racket.
2. Meddle in an internal business dispute between two partners in a major tourism enterprise on the island.

One of the business partners turned to “Entik” for help in forcing his rival out. The gang’s operatives made daily visits to the business, threatened employees, and demanded €200,000 in protection payments.

During an intercepted conversation, a gang member warned the targeted businessman:
“Do you want to be with us, or do you want to be with that bald piece of sht who’s already expired? I want us to be friends, and you know exactly who I represent.”*

“He’s a Ghost…”

Intercepted conversations also reveal how “Entik” remains undetected. A gang member described their strict security measures:
“They’re afraid of being linked to us… He turns on a number, makes a call, then moves locations… He might drive 500 kilometers away to make a call, then shut off the phone and return. Nobody can track them… He’s a ghost.”

Another associate described “The Voice’s” influence:
“Half of Ukraine belongs to him… He has an army. A real army, not amateurs. A serious army.”

Running Operations from Prison

Greek prisons serve as the gang’s recruitment grounds and operational hubs. Inmates continue orchestrating criminal activities behind bars, including violent attacks.

One such attack targeted a Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei member inside Korydallos Prison. The inmate was first threatened via video call by “Entik,” who was enraged by his past friendship with Vasilis Roumpetis, a rival whom “Entik” later had killed. Following the threat, other inmates acting on “Entik’s” orders viciously beat him and recorded the assault.

“Entik” also marked notorious Greek criminal Panagiotis Vlastos and another high-profile figure for assassination, seeing them as obstacles to his total underworld domination.

Assassination of Vangelis Zambounis

Vangelis Zambounis was murdered in Neos Kosmos under “Entik’s” orders. Initially, authorities suspected it was an internal Greek Mafia conflict, but the case file reveals it was part of “Entik’s” purge.

Zambounis had entered the illegal cigarette trade, which “Entik” considered an act of war. He was also responsible for planting bombs at the homes and vehicles of “Entik’s” associates. His elimination was inevitable.

The “Bulldogs” – Enforcers of the Ukrainian Gang

A particularly feared faction within “Entik’s” gang consists of Greek-speaking ex-Soviet criminals, many of whom operate from Western Attica. Known as the “Bulldogs” or “Pitbulls,” their role is to enforce the gang’s dominance through intimidation, extortion, and violent money collection.

According to the case file, ten days after Giannis Skaftouros’ assassination, the “Bulldogs” extorted €1 million from a businessman. In other instances, they resorted to severe beatings to settle disputes.

This case file exposes the full extent of “Entik’s” dominance over Greece’s underworld. Operating from Dubai, he eliminated the last remnants of the Greek Mafia, expanded his empire across Mykonos and the Aegean, and controlled organized crime from both the streets and prison cells. His network—spanning assassins, smugglers, and enforcers—remains one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Greece today.