Case solved over product to rig breathalyzer results

The Hellenic Police announced on Saturday 26 September 2026 the solving of a case that concerned the promotion of a substance which was advertised on a social media platform. According to the announcement, the product promised interested persons the alteration of the results of breath tests for intoxication, known as breathalyzers, which are conducted daily by police forces on roads throughout the country. In the course of the investigation, as stated, a Greek national was identified. The Hellenic Police provides no further information about this person, beyond his nationality.

The Hellenic Police announcement, as published on the police’s official website, is limited to these two basic facts: the existence of a substance advertised with the promise of breath test alteration and the identification of a Greek national. The name, age or place of residence of the identified person are not mentioned, nor is the composition or method of operation of the product disclosed, details which the police reasonably do not publicize so as not to facilitate any reproduction of such practices. The social media platform through which the advertisement took place is also not named, nor is any number of buyers or amount of money related to the case mentioned. The Greek national who was identified is alleged to be involved in the promotion of the substance, but this does not mean he has been convicted of any crime; the identification is a stage of the police investigation and not a judicial judgment.

Breath tests for intoxication constitute an established and daily practice of the Hellenic Police within the framework of road safety, aimed at identifying drivers operating under the influence of alcohol. Greek legislation provides, in general terms, maximum permissible limits of alcohol in exhaled breath for drivers, beyond which administrative and criminal penalties are imposed, while stricter limits apply for professional drivers and those holding a driving licence for a short period of time. The reliability of the breath test is a basic tool for preventing accidents related to driving under the influence of alcohol, and any attempt at interference or alteration of its results is treated by the authorities as a matter of particular gravity, as it strikes at the control mechanism that protects drivers, pedestrians and other road users alike. Cases such as this fall within the broader field of road safety that the police monitors, but are also connected to matters of public order that are recorded in the crime report.

The Hellenic Police announcement does not clarify whether criminal prosecution has already been brought against the identified person, what specific charges may be attributed to him, or whether a court date has been set. Nor is it stated whether other persons are involved in the investigation, such as possible buyers of the substance, or whether the case is connected to a broader investigation at the level of social media platforms. At this stage, the Hellenic Police confines itself to announcing the solving and the identification, while any further legal development will follow the prescribed procedures of criminal justice. The case falls within a broader framework of issues related to the use of social media platforms to promote products of questionable legality, a matter that is also monitored in the society section.