Eurasia Press & News
When Mediterranean Airlines became the first European carrier to resume flights to Damascus in 2025, it wasn’t just a business decision—it was a move shrouded in crime and political intrigue. This investigation reveals how the Greek airline partnered with wanted arms dealers, drug traffickers, and migrant smugglers, all while evading scrutiny from EU authorities. From FBI fugitives in Syria to a convicted smuggler in Libya, the trail of corruption stretches across borders—raising urgent questions about who enabled this shadowy operation.
The following is a concise form of an investigation that was supported by Journalism Fund Europe.and published in collaboration with MIIR (Greece), SIRAJ (Syria), DARAJ (Lebanon), Voxeurop (France), and l’Espresso (Italy).
In June 2025, a Greek airline named “Mediterranean Airlines” made headlines when it landed at Damascus International Airport—marking the first passenger flight from Athens to Syria since the fall of the Assad regime. But behind this seemingly routine commercial operation lies a tangled web of arms trafficking, migrant smuggling, and high-level corruption, stretching from Greece and Cyprus to Syria, Libya, and beyond.
The Mysterious Man in White
As the plane touched down in Damascus, a delegation greeted the arriving passengers. Among them was a man in white, later identified as Mohammed Majd Deri, a Syrian businessman with a dark secret: he is wanted by the FBI for arms trafficking and money laundering.
Deri’s name appears on the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions list (OFAC), which accuses him and his Lebanese partner, Samer Ria, of running a shadowy aviation network through shell companies in Cyprus and Turkey, facilitating arms deals and illicit flights across the Middle East and Africa. Despite this, Deri openly represented the Greek airline in Syria, raising serious questions about how a fugitive could operate so freely—and who enabled him.
A Greek Airline with Controversial Partners
Mediterranean Airlines, founded in 2015, is linked to the Hallak family, a powerful Lebanese-Greek business dynasty with deep political connections. The company’s operations have been shrouded in allegations of fraud, sanctions evasion, and ties to criminal networks.
One of its key partners in Syria was Free Bird Travel, a tourism agency tied to Mahmoud al-Dajj, a convicted drug trafficker and migrant smuggler sentenced to death in absentia by a Libyan court. Al-Dajj’s network has been accused of:
– Smuggling Captagon drugs (a Syrian-made amphetamine) into Libya.
– Facilitating illegal migrant transfers—some of whom later drowned in the Pylos shipwreck, the Mediterranean’s deadliest migrant disaster in 2023.
– Running a labor trafficking ring, sending Syrian workers to Libya under brutal conditions.
Despite these well-documented crimes, Free Bird was allowed to operate as Mediterranean Airlines’ exclusive ticket agent in Syria, raising concerns about how EU authorities permitted such a partnership.
Europe’s Complicity?
While most European airlines avoided Syria due to sanctions and security risks, Mediterranean Airlines continued its Damascus flights, even expanding to Vienna, Cologne, and Berlin.
Key questions remain:
– How did a fugitive arms dealer become the airline’s representative in Syria?
– Why did Greek and EU authorities fail to act despite clear red flags?
– Were these flights used for more than just passengers—possibly smuggling arms or sanctioned individuals?
After suspending Syrian flights in late 2023, the airline shifted focus to Italy, signing a €6.3 million contract with Forlì Airport, a struggling private airstrip. There, it operated deportation flights for Italy’s Interior Ministry, earning €60,000 per trip.
A Family Feud Exposing Dirty Secrets
Behind the scenes, a bitter feud erupted within the Hallak family. Fadi Hallak, a former board member, accused his brother and father of:
– Falsifying safety records.
– Hiding dangerous cargo manifests.
– Conspiring with Mahmoud al-Dajj.
In a leaked letter, Fadi warned of “serious breaches of financial, safety, and operational duties”—yet Greek authorities have taken no visible action.
The Unanswered Questions
– Why is Interpol’s Red Notice for the Hallaks still unenforced?
– What deals were struck between Mediterranean Airlines and Syria’s new government?
– Will EU regulators finally investigate this shadowy aviation network?
As Mediterranean Airlines continues flying, the real cargo may not be passengers—but impunity itself.
