A yacht cruising off the coast of Skopelos turned out to be a mobile operation for looting the Greek seabed.

According to information from inspection sources, AADE’s special DEOS unit identified and seized significant quantities of protected coral, with an estimated value approaching €800,000, uncovering a well-organized smuggling network trafficking in “red gold” toward Italy.

Operation in Skopelos: when a yacht becomes a front

The incident took place offshore from Skopelos and demonstrates how maritime tourism can become intertwined with organized financial and environmental crime.

A yacht chartered by Italians and moving discreetly among popular routes in the Northern Sporades had been transformed into a floating platform for the illegal extraction of coral.

Everything needed for the operation was found onboard: specialized diving equipment, cutting tools, makeshift storage areas, and refrigerated compartments for preserving the valuable cargo.

Risk analysis, digital traces, and a transport front

The operation did not begin with a random inspection at sea, but on land—from data.

AADE’s risk-analysis systems, widely used in the fight against smuggling (including narcotics, tobacco products, counterfeit goods, and other illicit trade), raised an alert regarding a specific transport company that displayed a pattern of unusual shipments and routes toward ports in northern and central Italy.

The company, which appeared on the surface to operate as a legitimate logistics business, seemed to have been used as a “front” to conceal the activities of smugglers: small packages, false descriptions, and vague declarations of contents were incorporated into larger legitimate shipments.

The analysis of import-export files, declarations, and accompanying documents brought the group of Italian suspects to light, along with their frequent arrivals at Greek islands.

Through cross-checking data—including yacht declarations, card transactions, AIS data, and the transport company’s routes—the investigators reconstructed the picture: a vessel that appeared “clean” on paper but was repeatedly linked to suspicious shipments.

According to sources, the yacht’s crew consisted of Italian divers with deep-water diving experience, who were diving at specific seabeds located within or bordering Natura 2000 network areas, where coral ecosystems are strictly protected under European legislation.

The “merchandise” was not merely decorative marine “souvenirs,” but raw material intended for high-value jewelry and luxury items.

“Catch” worth €800,000

DEOS, in cooperation with the Coast Guard, carried out a targeted inspection, locating quantities of coral and extraction equipment. International cooperation channels with Italian authorities have already been activated to identify recipients and possible accomplices in other countries.

The value of the seized material, according to an initial assessment, is estimated at approximately €800,000—material that was being taken from the Greek seabed and destined for workshops in southern Italy.

Red coral has for decades been regarded as the “red gold” of the Mediterranean.

In southern Italy—with areas such as Torre del Greco, near Naples, as a major center—powerful coral-processing and cutting industries have developed, supplying international jewelry houses.

Legal activity, conducted under strict quotas and licensing requirements, exists alongside a parallel black market, where illegally harvested coral from across the Mediterranean is moved through clandestine routes and false declarations.

European Union-funded research estimates that coral worth several million euros is illegally traded every year, with North Africa and southern Italy serving as key processing and export hubs.

The material typically ends up in luxury aquariums and expensive jewelry.

However, coral smuggling is part of the broader illegal wildlife trade involving marine species: corals, tropical fish, giant clams, seahorses, and other species often supply hobbyists involved in the luxury aquarium and reef-tank market.

In other cases, they end up in the jewelry and decorative-object markets, with red coral serving as a highly sought-after material for bracelets, necklaces, and amulets—often with opaque or entirely illegal origins.

Digital enforcement and international cooperation

At an institutional level, the operation by the General Directorate of DEOS represents another success based on AADE’s digital inspection methods: risk analysis, cross-checking declarations, targeted maritime operations based on digital traces, and international cooperation with customs and law-enforcement authorities of other countries.

Under the CITES Convention and the Natura 2000 network framework, the collection, transport, and sale of protected marine species without authorization are strictly prohibited.

Nevertheless, criminal groups exploit gaps in surveillance, false declarations, and multilayered transport networks to “camouflage” their cargo among legitimate shipments of other goods.

Greece already has a significant number of marine Natura 2000 areas, with an obligation to protect coral ecosystems, reefs, and marine caves that host rare species.

The “red gold” case in the Aegean demonstrates that, beyond traditional threats such as overfishing, the climate crisis, and pollution, corals are also facing pressure from an international criminal network that views the seabed as a field for high-profit exploitation.