Editorial: Root out organised crime

Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Citizen’s Protection Minister Chrisohoidis, something must be done.

You must urgently undertake necessary initiatives to root out organised crime.

Within a matter of hours, two murders in cold blood confirmed beyond any doubt that this issue far transcends communications management. The only thing that counts now is results.

The pattern of criminal behaviour that has gradually emerged must be broken before it takes hold and things become enough rougher to manage.

There is no time to lose.

The doctrine of “order and security” with which you won the trust of citizens in the 2019 general elections must be proven in practice.

Five executions in two months may not be a large number for a country that has a long history of organised crime.

Yet, it is hair-raising for Greek society, which is not accustomed to systematic Mafia-style actions or to a daily settling of accounts.

From the murder in Alimos to those in Sepolia and Vari, it seems we are entering a new phase in the operation of crime, which has demonstrated that it is not afraid to take the next step without any fear of punishment.

The public’s anxiety is recorded in the latest opinion polls (such as MRB’s), as a majority of respondents believe that the country has a serious crime problem and that the level of security is not very high.

What is needed is a coherent plan to root out the Mafia groupings that are being set up.

As long as cases are not cracked, a heap of dossiers will pile up in Greek Police offices.

The battle has not been decided, yet there is no room for delay.