Greek authorities have arrested members of an Italian coral smuggling ring apprehended on the Aegean island of Skopelos.
The Italian nationals are believed to have removed red coral from the seabed at an estimated value of around €800,000, with the cargo destined for Italy.
The case is under investigation, and officials are also examining the exact route the coral would have followed after leaving Greece.
The recent operation by Greece's General Directorate of Financial Transactions Control Forces (DEOS) is just a small piece of a much larger story. Red coral has been harvested for centuries in different parts of the Mediterranean and is the subject of an international trade in which Italy has historically played a central role. The town of Torre del Greco, near Naples, has become Europe's main centre for coral processing and jewellery making.
Coral from different areas of the Mediterranean is channelled to the Italian market, where the raw material is turned into jewellery and other, higher value products. This activity is legal when the coral has been collected in line with the rules in force in each country. The problem begins when the raw material comes from illegal harvesting and then enters the same commercial chain.
