GREECE: Smuggling of Illegal Goods

Source details

Data cover undeclared imports of the economy, split into two sub-categories:
- (a) Smuggling of cigarettes, alcohol beverages, hemp and other synthetic drugs (such as cocaine, LSD, amphetamines, ecstasy etc.).
- (b) Smuggling of other products not included in category (a), including tobacco, clothes and wearing apparel and other low-value manufactured products.

Category (a): Data derived directly from the Illegal Activities part of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as calculated in Annual National Accounts.
Category (b): No direct sources available; an estimation method is applied.

Category (a) (cigarettes, alcohol beverages, hemp and other synthetic drugs): derived from GDP calculations. For the base year 2000 an analytical calculation was made; for subsequent years extrapolation techniques are applied.
Category (b) (other products): initially incorporated into GDP figures in 2000 following Eurostat’s recommendations as a stable percentage over GDP; since then extrapolated following the % yoy changes of Extra EU Imports excluding oil petroleum products and ships.

Basic input: seized quantities in packets of smuggled cigarettes, per label, provided by the Custom Services of the Ministry of Finance.
Imports value calculation: seized quantities × wholesale price per label.
Wholesale price definition: retail price minus the share of the special consumption tax.
Retail price sources: Union of Tobacco Industries and several private firms.

Imports value calculation: adjusted seized quantities per alcohol category (ethyl alcohol and bottles of beverages) × respective wholesale prices.
Seized quantities source: Custom Services of the Ministry of Finance.
Adjustment applied: Custom Services estimate that the actual smuggled imported quantities are 3,5 times more than the seized ones.
Wholesale price source: Union of Alcohol Beverages Enterprises.

General: Coordinating Body of Drugs Prosecution in Greece reports that all drugs, except hemp, are imported.
Hemp: Coordinating Body estimates that 30% of the total quantity consumed in Greece is produced domestically and 70% is imported.
ELSTAT approach: demand-side calculation where total domestic consumption of each drug type = number of drug users × daily-consumed quantity × price of the drug.
Sources for inputs: Coordinating Body of Drugs Prosecution in Greece; Research University Institute for Mental Health; Drugs Section of the General Chemical State Laboratory.
Imports value for drugs: total domestic consumption of all drug types except hemp; for hemp, the imports value corresponds to the domestic consumption equal to 70% of total quantity consumed in Greece.

Initially incorporated into GDP in 2000 as a stable percentage over GDP (per Eurostat recommendations).
Time-series updates: extrapolated following the % yoy changes of Extra EU Imports excluding oil petroleum products and ships.