EKAM
The Special Anti-Terrorist Unit of the Hellenic Police, is the most distinguished part of the Hellenic Police. It started in 1978 when the first 2 antiterrorist units were created within the 2 Police Divisions that existed then (Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Hellenic Urban Police) and in 1984 were united into a single body, the Hellenic Police. In the beginning the Unit was comprised of only 150 men but when Greece became the host country of the Olympic Games of 2004 their number increased to 200 after reassessing the needs for the magnitude of the event.
DUTIES
1. Hostage situation response
2. High risk arrests
3. High risk VIP´s escort
4. W.M.D (Weapons of Massive Destruction) (C.B.R.N) hostage situation, intrusion response
5. Special antiterrorism operations and operations against organized crime in collaboration with the Hellenic Security Forces
6. Rescue operations in general including physical disasters in cooperation with the Fire Brigade
The Unit is in constant cooperation with other Special Units abroad such as
1. F.B.I/Hostage Rescue Team
2. U.S Marshals/Special Operations Groups
3. U.S Army Special Forces
4. New Scotland Yard/SO19
5. G.E.O Spain
6. S.E.K Berlin Germany
7. R.A.I.D France
8. Cobra Austria
OPERATIONS
The Special Anti-Terrorist Unit of the Hellenic Police, operates all around Greece and abroad whenever is deemed necessary. It has confronted extreme challenges such as hostage situations and it has contributed in the arrests of many dangerous criminals. Its role in the dismantling of November 17th and the Hellenic Revolutionary was catalytic. In March 2003, it confronted successfully an incident at a Turkish Aeroplane which was hijacked while it flew from Istanbul to Ankara (flight no 160) and ended up at the Athens International Airport at the order of the hijacker. In a successful operation the Unit stormed in to the plane arresting the hijacker and releasing all hostages safely.
YouTube -
