New anti-spying measures at Souda

Under the title “Scorpion of the Desert”, the National Intelligence Service (EYP) has initiated a plan to combat espionage activities and attempted sabotage at the US base at Souda and other American bases and installations in Greece. The plan was put into effect following the escalation in the Middle East and the arrest of the Georgian/Azeri accused of spying after having taken photographs of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford in Souda Bay.

According to a report on Skai TV, from the moment US and Israeli bombs started falling on Iran National Intelligence Service personnel instituted closer monitoring of different points of interest, with the aim of preventing spying activities or attacks and attempts at sabotage.

Seen from above, helicopters and military vehicles stand in rows on an open area, with a harbour visible behind.
US military equipment on the quay at Alexandroupoli in northern Greece, one of the important US hubs subject to extra monitoring following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Photo: US Navy, November 2021.

At the centre of the special plan are the naval base in Souda Bay and the port of Alexandroupoli, two of the most important US military hubs in the Southeast Mediterranean. Hotels, short-term rental properties and tourist accommodation are being monitored for unusual stays by people of Middle Eastern origin, or for solitary travellers with passports which are different from their country of origin. It is indicative that both of the two men of Azeri origin who were caught spying at Souda had entered the country on Polish passports. Their suspicious enquiries about finding accommodation with a view of the bay raised an immediate alarm.

At the same time as the military hubs of Crete and Thrace, the EYP has extended a corresponding network of intelligence collection to places where in previous years there has been a presence of the US Air Force, including the base of the Hellenic Air Force’s 110 Combat Wing in Larissa and the Stefanoivikeio Air Base, also in Thessaly.
(Haniotika Nea, 10/03/26)

Another case of spying at Souda
The two cases of the Azeri men arrested, one in June 2025 and the other at the beginning of this month, seem to have been clear cases of spying activity, with the suspects having encrypted photographic material and sent it to an unknown source, presumed to be Iranian. However, a third case, discovered after the inauguration of “Scorpion of the Desert”, seems more ambiguous. As we reported in our previous post on the subject, another man suspected of spying was arrested in Chania on Thursday 12th March. A Polish citizen, he had been staying for several months at Marathi beach, which is close to the Souda Naval Base, and had been taking photographs of the jetties and ships at the base.

According to various press reports, the man was 58 years old, retired, and had been staying at Marathi beach in a white van with Polish number plates. This he had done for the past three years from October to the spring, because, as he said, he liked the peace and quiet. In an initial statement he denied being engaged in spying, saying that as a ex-military man he was interested in ships and aircraft, and he had been sending the pictures to his sister whose husband, also in the military, was interested in the subject. It is clear that until now his activities had not raised any suspicions among the locals, but in view of recent events in the Middle East, and the other cases of spying which have been publicised, they felt obliged to report him to the police.

Locals quizzed by Nea TV said that the suspect had seemed friendly. One man had provided him with water and electricity for the van and he had offered him tea and food in return.”He seemed like good guy,” he said. Another said: “He had his dogs” (possibly meaning that he fed the local strays), he sat in the kafenion and regularly went for a swim. “You can take photos anywhere here,” he said, “I’ve done it myself, but in these times you can never tell. Who’s a spy, am I a spy?”

According to Skai TV’s main news programme, the police found large numbers of photographs on his mobile, of ships and submarines as well as military aircraft. He also had a laptop, tablet and USB stick in his possession, and he had been sending the photos to ten people among the contacts on his mobile, among them other retired military personnel.

A young woman with blonde hair stands in front of a row of microphones, with a staircase rising up behind her.
Addressing the media outside the courthouse in Chania where he was remanded in custody on Monday, the suspect’s lawyer, Maria Voltsi, said “My client denies the allegations and maintains that he is in Chania because he likes it a lot, and has been coming here for the past few years on holiday. He also has some friends here and it is generally a place where he finds some peace, and that is the reason he has been staying here for a few months for the past two to three years.” Asked about the photographs found on his mobile she said, “He doesn’t deny that the material is his, but in spite of that he has not used them publicly, he has shared them with friends and relations in private conversations and in communications with his own people.” Photo: Tvcreta.gr.

The pattern of behaviour could well be that of an innocent enthusiast, caught up in the current atmosphere of suspicion, or perhaps of an agent with a well-crafted cover identity. The fact that he had a Polish passport is a point of similarity with the two Azeri suspects, but in this case at least he seems to have genuinely been Polish. However, his claim to be a simple tourist has not so far convinced the authorities. Appearing before the examining magistrates in Chania on Monday 16th March, he was remanded on custody on the charge of spying and pending further investigations by the police and the EYP.