Money ring sent 4.5 mln abroad

Two Afghan employees at a currency exchange bureau in central Athens and a Greek alleged to own the establishment were detained on Tuesday in connection to the alleged illegal transfer of more than 4.5 million euros to Asian and African states.

Officers of the security police arrested the Afghans, aged 24 and 30, and the 30-year-old Greek woman following a raid on the shop on Triti Septemvriou Street which turned up around 5,000 documents pointing to the transfer of millions of euros to Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Somalia.

Police said another two suspects, also Afghans, were being sought in connection with the racket which is said to have used a money transfer system known as Hawala which involves money brokers but no banks.