[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ background_image=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cover_elas_thanatoi_miir.jpg” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”\u03a4he Mediterranean Wings of the Underworld” button_one_url=”https:\/\/www.europeandatajournalism.eu\/eng\/News\/Data-news\/How-Europe-s-prisons-have-fared-in-the-Covid-19-pandemic” title_tablet=”\u03a4he Mediterranean Wings of the Underworld” title_phone=”\u03a4he Mediterranean Wings of the Underworld” title_last_edited=”on|phone” content_tablet=”<\/p>\n
How a Greek airline is linked to wanted arms, drugs and migrant traffickers in Syria and Libya who are roaming like free birds, while Greek and European authorities remain silent.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2 \/ 8 \/ 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n ” content_phone=”<\/p>\n How a Greek airline is linked to wanted arms, drugs and migrant traffickers in Syria and Libya who are roaming like free birds, while Greek and European authorities remain silent.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2 \/ 8 \/ 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n ” content_last_edited=”on|phone” content_max_width_tablet=”” content_max_width_phone=”100%” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ title_level=”h3″ title_font=”|800|||||||” title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”26px” content_font=”||||||||” content_text_align=”left” background_color_gradient_direction=”337deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(10,11,48,0.72) 86%|rgba(255,137,141,0.26) 100%” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(10,11,48,0.72)” 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button_two_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” button_two_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_horizontal_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_image_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_horizontal_button_one_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_button_one_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_button_one_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_button_one_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_horizontal_button_two_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_button_two_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_button_two_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_button_two_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n How a Greek airline is linked to wanted arms, drugs and migrant traffickers in Syria and Libya who are roaming like free birds, while Greek and European authorities remain silent.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2 \/ 8 \/ 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”121px” height=”224px” max_height=”1000px” custom_padding=”9px||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”\u039a\u03b5\u03af\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-9px||30px|||” custom_padding=”0px||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”] <\/p>\n Investigation: Ioanna Louloudi, Nikos Morfonios – MIIR ,Mohammad Bassiki – SIRAJ, Sofia Turati, Lorenzo Di Stasi On the afternoon of Monday June 30, a plane of the Greek airline <\/span>Air Mediterranean<\/span><\/a> landed at Damascus International Airport. It was the first passenger flight from Athens to the Syrian capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The flight of this relatively unknown airline and its enthusiastic passengers were greeted by a delegation, which, according to posts <\/span>on social media<\/span><\/a>, consisted of the Greek Ambassador, Mr. Emmanuel Kakavelakis, representatives of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority, and an unknown man dressed in white, who was mentioned as the president of a Lebanon-based company<\/a> entitled<\/span> Arkhos<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n Later, dressed in a black suit, during a celebratory event in Damascus for the launch of Air Mediterranean’s new routes from Vienna, Cologne and Berlin to Syria via Athens, the same man would state<\/span><\/a>: \u201c<\/span>While bigger airlines had obstacles in scheduling flights to Syria, as a private airline from Greece, we were able to overcome them.<\/span><\/i>\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/30-6-2025_Damascus_Airmed_Deiry_Ambassador-1024×683.jpg” title_text=”30-6-2025_Damascus_Airmed_Deiry_Ambassador” align=”center” src_tablet=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/30-6-2025_Damascus_Airmed_Deiry_Ambassador.jpg” src_phone=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/30-6-2025_Damascus_Airmed_Deiry_Ambassador-1024×683.jpg” src_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”justified” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Mohamad Majd Deiry (second from right), dressed in white, welcomes Air Mediterranean’s first flight to Damascus, June 30, 2025 – Source: Syrian Civil Aviation Authority<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The unidentified man who spoke as if he were Air Mediterranean\u2019s representative has a name: <\/span>Mohamad Majd Deiry<\/b>. And he has another capacity other than that of a businessman: he is <\/span>wanted by the FBI<\/span><\/a> for illegal arms trafficking and money laundering as of 2021. His name is <\/span>included i<\/span><\/a>n the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list, <\/span>which reports that Deiry<\/span><\/a>, along with his Lebanese associate Samer Rayya and their company Black Shield, with the use of shell companies in Cyprus (S. Group Airlines Ltd, Centuronic Ltd) and Turkey, have at least since 2015 \u201cbrokered weapons deals and offered air transport services in the Middle East and Africa\u201d. It adds that they \u201cmaintained relationships with individuals allegedly linked to the Syrian government and engaged in business activity on behalf of the Iranian regime\u201d.\u00a0<\/span>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/DEIRY_FBI_WANTED-1-945×1024.jpg” title_text=”DEIRY_FBI_WANTED” align=”center” src_tablet=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/DEIRY_FBI_WANTED-1-scaled.jpg” src_phone=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/DEIRY_FBI_WANTED-1-945×1024.jpg” src_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”justified” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The FBI’s wanted poster for Mohammad Majd Deiry – Source: FBI<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n D<\/span>ata from the Syrian Commercial Registry shows that Deiry ran a business under his name since 1986, involving \u201ctrading, importing, and exporting of all materials permitted by the state.\u201d <\/span>In 2018, Deiry appeared in Greece, declaring himself a permanent resident, with an address similar to that of the <\/span>\u201cAliens & Migration Directorate<\/span><\/a> of the Southern Sector\u201d. His main associate Rayya was arrested at Athens\u2019 \u201cEleftherios Venizelos\u201d airport in 2022. According to a recent <\/span>report by iMEdD<\/span><\/a>, Rayya remained in custody in Athens for 16 days and was released on bail <\/span>under the condition that he not leave the country pending trial.<\/span> However, Raya did not show up at the trial in February 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Why is a Syrian arms dealer, with an outstanding international arrest warrant against him and an associate on the run, speaking on behalf of a Greek airline in Syria? What do we know about Air Mediterranean, which was already operating flights to Damascus in 2023, during Assad\u2019s regime, when no other European airline did the same?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Mediterranean Institute for Investigative Journalism (MIIR),<\/b> in a co-publication with SIRAJ (Syria), Daraj (Lebanon), L’Espresso (Italy) and VoxEurope (France),<\/span> unravels the tangle of a case that could be a noir film script, but is not. It is a series of events that holds both the Greek and European authorities accountable, unfolding in Greece, Cyprus, Syria, Libya, Italy, Lebanon and Dubai. It involves the family of a well-known Lebanese businessman – known to the Greek political elite since the time of Andreas Papandreou – an inter-company civil war, allegations of mismanagement and financial irregularities, transactions through Cyprus, a man wanted for arms trafficking, and a convicted drug kingpin linked to the illegal trafficking of migrants to and from Libya. And as this cross-border investigation reveals today, an <\/span>Interpol “red<\/b> notice<\/strong>” pending<\/span> for two of the individuals at the heart of this story, to which the Greek police and judicial authorities have yet to respond.<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n From take-off to turbulence\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Air Mediterranean (Mediterranean Airlines S.A.) was established on September 1st 2015, by three individuals: <\/span>Hamad Ali Al-Thani<\/span><\/a>, one of the founders of Qatar Airways and Chairman of <\/span>Blue Air Leasing<\/span><\/a> based in the United Arab Emirates, on one hand, and Greek-Lebanese Fadi Elias Hallak and Andreas Hallak on the other. They are the sons of the powerful and influential Lebanese businessman George Hallak (or Hallaq or Challak), known for his warm friendship with former long-time Greek Prime Minister and leader of Pasok political party, Andreas Papandreou, his close ties with the Greek political elite, and leaders who were once prominent in the Middle East, such as Palestinian Yasser Arafat and Syrian Hafez Al Assad. Earlier reports (<\/span>Wall Street Journal, 1993<\/span><\/a>) indicate Hallak as the instigator of a scheme that made money for the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) through the purchase of airlines and duty-free shops in several countries, a move that may allegedly have facilitated the smuggling of all kinds of illicit goods.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Hallaq_Papandreou_Eleftherotypia-778×1024.jpeg” title_text=”Screenshot” align=”center” src_tablet=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Hallaq_Papandreou_Eleftherotypia.jpeg” src_phone=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Hallaq_Papandreou_Eleftherotypia.jpeg” src_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”justified” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Article in the “Eleftherotypia” newspaper about Andreas Papandreou’s influential close friend, Lebanese businessman George Hallak – Source: Eleftherotypia, 1996<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n George Hallak himself, 85 years-old today, does not appear in documents of the company, whereas his wife Nada appears to be serving as president. The current accountable manager, former pilot, Marios Samprakos was added to the Board in 2021. The company, however, is managed and trades through a network of Cyprus-based companies.<\/span><\/strong> In order to serve the aircraft leasing and purchasing needs, as well as the management of Air Mediterranean, the Hallak brothers established in 2017 at least two companies in Cyprus: Pantrelalo Trading Limited<\/strong>, which holds 74.993% of Air Mediterranean’s shareholding, and GMT Aviation Limited,<\/strong> that owns 18.872% of the airline. \u00a0In Pantrelalo, which operates as a trust company, the two Hallak brothers share equally half of the shares, while its management is entrusted to Omnium Trust, another Cypriot legal entity run by the law firms Noble Trust and Ioannides-Demetriou, whose clients are the Hallaks.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The two brothers, who are now on opposite sides, are also shareholders in GMT Aviation Limited, along with Libank and Blue Air Leasing (Al-Thani interests). In fact, former New Democracy MP, economist and founder of Nuntius, Alexandros Moraitakis, took over as director only on 10 July, replacing former New Democracy MP and former Deputy Minister of Finance, Petros Doukas. Mr. Doukas appears in the Cyprus Business Register to have assumed the post of director on 17\/2\/2023, i.e. during the period when he was still serving as mayor of Sparta. <\/span><\/i>When asked about his role, he initially denied any involvement with GMT Aviation, and then said it was a position he had accepted for a short time.<\/span><\/i>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”justified” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”] <\/p>\n Between 2018 and 2021, Air Mediterranean’s Board of Directors included two individuals associated with the Lebanese bank “Levant Investment Bank” (Libank), which invested funds in the company. Today, however, the bank itself is allegedly accusing Air Mediterranean, and specifically Andreas and George Hallak, of fraud and embezzlement of \u20ac6.61 million. As a result, a Red Notice from Interpol was issued on April 17 2024, at the request of the Lebanese authorities. The relevant provisional arrest warrant makes no mention of the second brother, Fadi Hallak, who since 2022 appears to have been in open conflict with his family, according to media reports and other information MIIR has examined. According, however, to Interpol\u2019s Notice, the charges could carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison. To date, it remains unknown whether the Greek authorities have in any way responded to the request for the provisional arrest and extradition of the Hallaks to Lebanon. We reached out to the Hellenic Police, but have not yet received a response.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\t\t
\n<\/em><\/strong>Illustrations: Konstantina Maltepioti\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”1448px” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” custom_padding=”45px||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”1404px” custom_margin=”-30px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||11px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”justified” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/em>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shareholders-bod-en-1024×576.png” title_text=”shareholders-bod-en” align=”center” src_tablet=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shareholders-bod-en-1024×576.png” src_phone=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/shareholders-bod-en-1024×576.png” src_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#001659″ text_orientation=”justified” custom_margin=”10px|10px|10px|10px|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|30px|30px|30px|false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset6″ box_shadow_horizontal=”15px” box_shadow_vertical=”15px” global_colors_info=”{}”]Air Mediterranean’s Network<\/strong><\/p>\n