Filenews 5 December 2025 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
Cyprus is taking know-how from Greece to set up its own Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE) in an attempt to hit the underworld.
The issue dominated during the discussions held yesterday by the Ministers of Justice of Cyprus, Marios Hartsiotis, and Citizen Protection of Greece, Michalis Chrysochoidis, as well as delegations of the two countries. Mr. Chrysochoidis is visiting our country at the invitation of the Minister of Justice and as stated, a continuous cooperation between the Chiefs of Police of the two countries has been developed with the aim of combating organized crime.
According to Mr. Hartsiotis, the building that will house the new service is currently being sought, it will be staffed with special staff while the Parliament will be asked to approve its operating framework, since it will carry out raids, investigations and arrests. In his statements after the talks between the two delegations, Mr. Hartsiotis said that in addition to European issues, they discussed organized crime, drugs, immigration, but also issues of strengthening further cooperation between the two Police Academies. According to him, it has been decided to establish a Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, as the Hellenic Republic has had a corresponding Directorate through the Ministry of Citizen Protection for about a year.
Mr. Hartsiotis stressed that Cyprus and Greece "are communicating vessels on the issue of the exchange of information on organized crime, "so we hope that the new Directorate, which I repeat, is being created with the guidance, support of Mr. Chrysochoidis and his staff, will also be particularly helpful for both Cyprus , but also as a two-way effectiveness in this terrible and I can say very serious issue, the social issue, which is organized crime."
The Greek minister said that security, which is a valuable commodity and at the same time a constitutional right that every citizen is entitled to, "especially in our region, which is extremely sensitive, is destabilized by various events that cause concern and anxiety to the populations, nations and countries of the region and the battle we are all fighting in the region here, through the diplomatic efforts that are being made, it is to have stability, peace and at the same time in Cyprus to finally have a fair solution to the national issue, which has been pending for over 50 years since the Turkish invasion."
"We are here, we will do everything possible, starting with Mr. Hartsiotis himself and Cyprus, on the issues of minors and their exploitation through the internet," said Mr. Chrysochoidis and added that "we will be here side by side as supporters. For some time now, there has been cooperation with the Cypriot Police and the Greek Police, the Headquarters and the DAOE, so that there is an exchange of information, an exchange of know-how and finally to add value to all the effort made by both the Greek and the Cypriot Police. At the same time, we do not forget a major issue that concerns all the countries of the region, immigration." Finally, he stressed that today immigration is not what we had last year, but there is vigilance.
