They have no money and their passports are taken away. They become the property of the rings. Within a few years they are full-time prostitutes. Greece's proximity to the poorest Eastern European nations contributes to its role in the regional networks, Lazos suggested. You can't operate illegal enterprises this big and this complex without corrupt officials,'' he said.
Prosecutors refuse to speculate on the size of the illegal prostitution operations in Greece.
But the anti-corruption drive has already reached high officials. The public order minister was dismissed last month in a government shuffle. Less than a week later, the former head of the national police and 15 others were charged with corruption, including allegations of taking kickbacks to issue residency permits to foreign women. There was speculation that prosecutors could eventually link the permits and the prostitution rings. Some police officers also are under investigation for allegedly offering protection to pimps.