Hersonissos spent August reminding everyone that the summer season may be good for tourism, but it is apparently also very good for keeping the police busy.
According to the Heraklion Police Directorate, extensive checks were carried out throughout the Municipality of Hersonissos between August 1 and 31, targeting everything from road-safety violations and noise complaints to illegal street trading, underage protection and the rather peculiar business of selling alcoholic drinks and laughing gas.
Police teams from services across Heraklion, assisted by officers from the Agios Nikolaos Traffic Police and the Northern Road Axis of Crete Traffic Police, conducted checks throughout the municipality as part of a special operation targeting unlawful behavior in areas with high levels of tourism activity.
The operation also involved the Organized Crime Unit of Crete and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, with checks focusing in part on the illegal possession and distribution of alcoholic beverages.
The numbers make for considerably more interesting reading than the official description of the operation.
| August checks | Number |
|---|---|
| Vehicles checked | 2,097 |
| People checked | 2,675 |
| Arrests | 177 |
| Vehicles immobilized | 85 |
| Total violations recorded | 1,097 |
What were people arrested for?
Of the 177 arrests, the largest category involved businesses and establishments operating in the nightlife and hospitality sector, with 107 people arrested for violations connected to licensed establishments.
That category alone included 39 arrests for excessive noise, 21 for disturbing the peace, 10 for soliciting customers, and 37 for failing to have the required health certificates.
| Reason for arrest | Arrests |
|---|---|
| Establishment-related violations | 107 |
| Traffic violations | 11 |
| Street trading | 12 |
| Illegal camping | 5 |
| Other offences | 42 |
| Total | 177 |
Traffic offenses accounted for another 11 arrests, including nine cases involving drunk driving, one person driving without a valid license and one arrest for dangerous driving.
Police also made 12 arrests connected with street trading, five involving illegal camping and 42 for other offenses.
More than 1,000 violations
The police recorded 1,097 violations during the month, of which 879 concerned the Greek Highway Code.
The most common traffic offense was not wearing a helmet, with 143 violations, while 29 drivers were cited for driving under the influence of alcohol and 28 for speeding.
| Traffic violations | Cases |
|---|---|
| Other traffic violations | 665 |
| No helmet | 143 |
| Driving under the influence | 29 |
| Speeding | 28 |
| No seat belt | 14 |
| Total | 879 |
The remaining 218 violations covered the sort of behavior that makes resort towns particularly interesting in August, including 52 disturbances of the peace, 46 noise violations measured with a sound meter, 11 cases of customer solicitation and 10 cases involving illegal street trading of laughing gas.
There were also eight drug-related violations, two concerning the illegal possession or distribution of alcoholic beverages, four cases involving exposure to laughing gas, and 85 other offenses.
| Other violations | Cases |
|---|---|
| Disturbing the peace | 52 |
| Noise violations measured with a sound meter | 46 |
| Other offences | 85 |
| Customer solicitation | 11 |
| Illegal street trading involving laughing gas | 10 |
| Drug-related offences | 8 |
| Exposure involving laughing gas | 4 |
| Illegal possession/distribution of alcohol | 2 |
| Total | 218 |
And then we arrive at the confiscated goods, where the August inventory becomes considerably more entertaining.
Police seized 2,329 counterfeit products bearing the names of various companies, along with 3,400 bottles containing a total of 5,499 liters of unidentified alcoholic liquid.
They also confiscated 793 metal laughing-gas canisters, 12,825 empty balloons and 134 metal dispensing devices.
Yes, 12,825 empty balloons. The balloons themselves aren’t the drug or the dangerous product. They’re essentially the consumable delivery vessels. You inflate one from the canister and sell/hand it to the customer.
At this point, Hersonissos appears to have had an entire parallel balloon economy operating alongside the legitimate tourist industry.
| Items confiscated | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Counterfeit products | 2,329 |
| Bottles containing unidentified alcoholic liquid | 3,400 |
| Unidentified alcoholic liquid | 5,499 litres |
| Laughing-gas canisters | 793 |
| Empty balloons | 12,825 |
| Metal dispensing devices | 134 |
The seized items have been sent to the competent authorities for further examination and the procedures required under Greek law.
The police say similar operations will continue throughout Crete, with the stated aim of preventing unlawful activity, strengthening policing and ensuring safer movement for residents and visitors.
Which, after an August involving 2,675 people checked, 177 arrests, more than a thousand recorded violations, 5,499 liters of unidentified booze, and nearly 13,000 empty balloons, sounds like the world’s strangest birthday-party raid until you get to the second half of the sentence. 😂
