Prüm / dactyloscopic data exchange evaluation of Greece - Report of the evaluation visit (Athens, 11 - 12 April) - Main contents

Document date	22-05-2017
Publication date	23-05-2017
Reference	9118/17
From	Presidency
External link	original article
Original document in PDF

Council of the European Union Brussels, 22 May 2017 (OR. en)

9118/17

DAPIX 182 CRIMORG 99 ENFOPOL 229 ENFOCUSTOM 117 JAI 416

NOTE

From: Presidency

To: Delegations

No. prev. doc.: 16401/13; 11854/16

Subject: Prüm / dactyloscopic data exchange evaluation of Greece

• - 

  Report of the evaluation visit (Athens, 11 - 12 April)

The current report is based on the replies of Greece to both the questionnaire on data protection

(16401/13 DAPIX 143 CRIMORG 135 ENFOPOL 363) and the questionnaire on exchange of dactyloscopic data (11854/16 DAPIX 135 CRIMORG 95 ENFOPOL) 263), and includes the findings of the evaluation team during the visit.

In accordance with Council Decisions 2008/615 i/JHA and 2008/616/JHA, Austria as partner state of Greece in the framework of implementing the provisions on dactyloscopic data exchange made a visit to the Hellenic Police Forensic Science Division (FSD) and the International Police

Cooperation Division (IPCD) in Athens from 11 to 12 April 2017. Representatives of the Greek

Police took great interest in the work and the on-site findings of the evaluation team, whose members received all requested information and were able to come into direct contact with the representative, who will apply Prüm procedures in future on a daily basis.

The evaluation was carried out in line with queries of the checklist as set out in Annex II. All points of this checklist were explained in detail by the Greek delegates, covering legal, technical and organizational aspects of dactyloscopic data search and comparison.

• 1. 

  Participants of the evaluation

The list of participants in the evaluation (evaluation team, observers as well as the Greek delegates, who provided the information to the team) is set out in Annex I.

The evaluation visit took place at the following locations:

• National contact point (NCP) for Prüm dactyloscopic data exchange (1st step) for incoming and outgoing requests in the Forensic Science Division (FSD), Crime Scene Investigation Department of the Hellenic Police.

• National contact point (NCP) for the follow-up consultation procedure after hit notifications (2nd step consultation procedure) in the International Police Cooperation Division (IPCD) of the Hellenic Police.

• 2. 

  Questionnaires

Greece notified the General Secretariat of the Council of having implemented its relevant obligations prior to the evaluation procedure and supplied it with the replies to the questionnaire on both data protection (16401/13) and dactyloscopic data exchange (11854/16).

• 3. 

  Pilot Run / Test Run

Each test ran as follows:

• connection test over sTESTA-network,

• encrypted connection test over sTESTA-network,

• data exchange procedures in accordance with Article 9 of Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA between September 2016 and February 2017 between Greece and Austria in both directions.

These tests were repeated in selected cases with searches from Austria in the Greek Prüm AFIS

(Automated Fingerprint Identification System) and also with searches from Greece in the Austrian Prüm AFIS during the visit. Test results from these tests fully comply with intended and known test results.

Tests were performed with the standard test data set from Austria (Prüm Latent &Tenprint test specification set) in encrypted form.

• 4. 

  Focal points

Besides the mentioned focal points on stringent technical results and the questions of the check list, the following points were discussed and checked in depth:

4.1. Technical aspects / national organization related to Greece

The Forensic Science Division (FSD) is the National Crime Service of Greece and is part of the centrally organized Hellenic Police Force under the umbrella of the Hellenic Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection (Ministry of Interior).

The FSD is appointed as the National Contact Point (1step NCP) for the exchange of DNA data and dactyloscopic data, in conformity with Council Decisions 2008/615 i/JHA and 2008/616/JHA. The Division is located in Athens, in a modern new building and equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Well trained forensic experts process in numerous forensic sections examinations and carry out forensic expertise. Greek fingerprint experts, DNA data analysts and biological experts are working in FSD for the Greek Police and Greek Justice Authorities (LEA).

The Northern Greece Forensic Science Subdivision in Thessaloniki, as well as local Crime

Investigations Bureaux all over Greece are part of the FSD and responsible for regional or local examinations and forensic investigations in the Northern Greek territory.

The FSD is the database custodian of the central national AFIS and the national DNA database.

Both systems will be linked online with other Member States within the Prüm network. The central AFIS servers are located in Athens in the highly secured premises of the Hellenic Police

Headquarters, Informatics Division, which is an organizational part of the Hellenic Police Force.

The Director of FSD is responsible for the proper functioning and safety of the AFIS database. The Director of the Informatics Division is responsible for the technical maintenance of the AFIS and the network infrastructure. The technical maintenance for the national AFIS will be supported by IT system engineers of the IT enterprise “Space Hellas”.

Starting end 2015, both the old, not state-of-the-art AFIS and the whole hardware equipment were replaced by a new generation one. The new system (NEC) comprises AFIS modules for the Prüm data exchange and works national side with high resolution forensic quality (1000 dpi solution). This AFIS will be used by Greece in defined cases and circumstances for outgoing and incoming searches in the framework of the Prüm data exchange.

The FSD AFIS has been a Criminal AFIS for registration of dactyloscopic data of criminal suspects and of dactyloscopic crime scene latents.

In accordance with Greek legislation, irregular migration is considered an offence and punishable by penal sanctions. Therefore, the processing, that is acquisition and storage, of fingerprints / palmprints of irregular migrants is carried out in the national AFIS if criminal investigations are reopened.

In the context of operations in accordance with the EURODAC Regulation, the verification and validation of fingerprints from persons who requested political asylum or have been arrested due to unlawful border-crossing and it is not possible to deport them, will be carried out by FSD fingerprint experts if a fingerprint search results in a potential positive EURODAC Hit. However, those types of EURODAC fingerprint registrations will not be loaded additionally in the FSD AFIS, but transmitted directly to the EURODAC AFIS in Strasbourg for data processing.

The criminal AFIS database contains presently about 1 million tenprints and palmprints and about 40.000 latent prints and latent palm prints from unsolved crimes. All available fingerprint and palmprint cards were not only migrated from the old AFIS but also newly scanned from hard copy in new AFIS, which allows better data quality of those records.

Besides fingerprints from criminals and stains from crime scenes, also dactyloscopic data of unidentified bodies and missing persons can be processed in this AFIS if such missing persons could be victim of a crime.

Dactyloscopic sata acquisition is performed in FSD as well as by local and regional police agencies at about 250 locations in Greece with flat scan and also live scan acquisition technology. Data transmission to the central AFIS, is carried out electronically. However, if hard copies are produced by the above police agencies, these will also be collected additional in central evidence of FSD.

Data acquisition and data processing from alphanumeric data as well as drawing up of digital images (mug shoots) from suspects are implemented by means of a central Greek identification database solution (identification master database system), which is linked with unique ID numbers to the records of the same persons stored in the national AFIS.

Dactyloscopic data processing and if necessary also developing / visualization of latent dactyloscopic data will be carried out by latent fingerprint experts in the FSD Crime Scene

Investigation department in Athens for the Central Greek area. Latent dactyloscopic stains, secured in the Northern territory of Greece will be processed from FSD fingerprint experts working in FSD Subdivision located in Thessaloniki.

Tenprin/Tenprint (TP/TP) searches and forensic validation of TP/TP hits are organized in the central premises by the FSD fingerprint experts in Athens.

Potential latent hits (LT/TP, LP/PP or TP/ULT, PP/ULP) will be verified and validated by the FSD latent fingerprint experts in Athens as well as from FSD latent fingerprint experts of in Thessaloniki for stains secured in Northern Greece territory.

The Greek AFIS is able to perform all types of MMS (mark-to-mark search) transactions (latent searches: LT/TP, LP/PP or TP/ULT, PP/ULP) relevant for the identification of unknown offenders. However, the national AFIS does not support the MMS function for latent – latent searches.

Experience shows that this specific MMS transaction type is not applied by Member States for operative searches, neither in a national nor in an international context, because of insufficient operative results. The Greek AFIS itself is defined for answering as“error message” if a Prüm partner sends such a MMS latent-latent search to the Greece AFIS. This is a correct answering parameter.

The general maintenance support is provided by Hellenic Police Informatics Division IT experts. For the AFIS core system, in particular, maintenance is supported by IT experts from the AFIS supporting company “Space Hellas” in Athens as well as by IT experts of the maintenance centre from AFIS provider NEC in Japan. The maintenance support is based on a 3 level support model and allows operative readiness within the timeframe foreseen by the Prüm Decisions.

The main technical features related to the Prüm exchange are:

• The email server transmits the data through sTESTA network in encrypted form.

• At national level, data are transmitted through internal high secure network of the Greece Police.

• Existing backup systems (automated backup securing of AFIS all 24 hours)

• The Prüm features are available only at central level, in FSC Athena.

• Maximum search limits per day for dactyloscopic data were set in the AFIS automated controlled Prüm workflow solution for outgoing and incoming requests on system.

• Incoming searches of other countries are processed in a fully automated way within the foreseen timeframe.

4.2. Organization - Prüm workflow

The organization concept does hold true for the actual Prüm work processes, including the search management of the first step, the subsequent operations including the validation of the results by fingerprint experts and the notification of the national investigating authorities after confirmed hits.

In addition to the mandatory 1st step NCP to handle Prüm data searching in accordance with Art. 8 and 9 of Decision 2008/615 i/JHA, Greece has also set up a 2nd step NCP for the supply of further personal data and other information in accordance with Art. 10 of Decision 2008/615 i/JHA. This designated 2nd step NCP is the International Police Cooperation Division (IPCD) of the Hellenic Police. All outgoing and incoming international legal requests concerning Prüm step 2 procedures will be processed by the SIRENE Office within the IPCD.

– 1st step: Automated information exchange

The Prüm features are available at the FSD, Department of Fingerprints. Prüm searches shall take account of an individual request of specially authorized police and prosecution agencies / officers. During a new fingerprint data acquisition process, a request for Prüm processing is also possible with checkbox definition in electronically national workflow. However, final processing decision will be started always only from specific trained fingerprint experts of the FSD Fingerprint

Department.

Latent searches of own stains could be carried out online also by FSD fingerprint experts, working in Thessaloniki on system. Outgoing daily search capacities will be monitored and checked by the AFIS system. Changes in daily search capacities can be mutually agreed by Prüm partner countries

Whether an outgoing request meets Prüm criteria is checked by specially trained FSD fingerprint experts, authorized to work with Prüm features. Once the request is approved by the expert, it is sent to the other countries. When the answer is received, the fingerprint expert verifies the match, and informs the requesting officer / authorized bodies on the result.

– 2nd step: Information exchange after a hit

Additionally to the mandatory contact point to handle the 1st step of automated dactyloscopic data exchange, an NCP has been established designated to provide further personal data and other information in case of a confirmed hit for incoming and outgoing requests in accordance with Article 10 of Decision 2008/615 i/JHA and with Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA

(”Swedish Initiative”).

Due the Decision of the majority of Heads of SIRENE in 2013 to use the SIRENE SISNet channel only for SIRENE workflow structured messages, electronic Prüm follow-up correspondence

(request and provision of further personal and other information after confirmed Prüm hits) is to be exchanged via existing secure police communication channels. Information exchange following a Prüm hit will be most preferably carried out by Greece through the Interpol I-24/7 secured network in English. Nevertheless, the SIRENE office will reply to incoming requests from another Member State on the channel used for the request.

Currently, a SPOC (Single Point of Contact) Centre is in a phase of creation. After its establishment, all the cases concerning Prüm follow-up HIT requests are going to be handled by the SPOC. That SPOC will incorporate the operational centers of SIR.ENE and Interpol of the Hellenic IPCD. Furthermore, the SPOC will have access to all channels of communication with international police authorities and from which the choice of the most appropriate one will be made, in order to respond most efficiently and in a shorter time to the Prüm requests.

Independent of from Prüm partners for Prüm follow up requests used police channel, such incoming queries, will be forwarded national side after central protocolling of those messages on secure internal communication network to the Greece SIRENE office from IPCD for further handling and answering.

The IPCD is located in the headquarters of the Hellenic Police in Athens. Guarded building is secured from police officers with security check points, surveillance cameras, electronically secured gates on a 24/7 basis. Staff responsible for handling second step information exchange operates in a zone, which is certified to manage data up to EU-confidential level. Only staff with privileged magnetic card is allowed inside.

Well trained and experienced staff of the IPCD SIRENE office operates 24/7 incoming and also outgoing follow up requests. The workflow is based strictly on regulations and takes account of experience in cross-border information exchange. This ensures secure, swift and high quality information exchange after Prüm hits. The workflow is clearly structured and every stage is recorded and stored in the IT-system for further feedback/revision.

Authorized staff of IPCD SIRENE has access to all existing secure police cooperation channels and to national law enforcement authorities as well as to national law enforcement databases. Without necessary upstream involvement of a local authority or of FSD, IPCD SIRENE officers can rapidly and react in case of urgent follow-up information requests from other Prüm partners. However, from Prüm hit of partner country concerned national local police and /or justice authority as well as

FSD will be informed always from hits of interest by IPCD Prüm 2 nd step experts.

The Greek Prüm AFIS workflow solution is in accordance with Prüm best practice recommendations, and with the recommendations of the Report of the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council regarding the European Model of Information Exchange (EIXM) (17680/12 JAI 913 DAPIX 163 ENFOPOL 418 JURINFO 64). It implements also the provisions of Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA ("Swedish Initiative") and provides for secure, rapid and high quality information exchange after Prüm hits.

Further details of the workflow for outgoing and incoming requests are explained in Annex II by mean of flow charts.

4.3 Data Protection

The Greek legislation related to data protection in general as well as to the exchange of data in accordance with the provisions of the Prüm Decisions complies with the indicated acts of international law and provides sufficient protection of personal data.

Greece has ratified the Council of Europe Convention of January 1981 for the protection of individuals with regards to automatic processing of personal data and the Additional Protocol of November 2001 to the Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data regarding supervisory authorities and trans-border data flows. Therefore, all provisions of these legal acts have been incorporated into national law.

The Greek system of personal data protection used in case of personal data exchange also takes into account, as far as police processing is concerned, both the Recommendation No R (87) 15 of 17 September 1987 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on protection of personal data used in the police sector as well as general provisions on data protection as set out in Chapter 6 of Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA.

Data registration and data processing in the AFIS is performed according to the established Security Policy, which provides the procedure for handling the dactyloscopic data and the rules of work on each stage of data processing.

Further details on the data protection legislation are defined in the data protection questionnaire filled in by Greece.

4.4 Data security

Technical solutions implemented in the IT systems in accordance with Article 30(1) and (2b) of

Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA ensure that data access and data base access is restricted to responsible authorities and special authorized experts of those authorities.

The AFIS is equipped with an authorization and control mechanism, which limits user access only to the specific areas of data. All system users have their own unique login and password for logging.

FSD and IPCD premises are divided into various access zones. Each employee has a magnetic access card that allows entering only these parts of the laboratory that he/she has been granted access to. The control of every access zone is performed constantly by registering the entries and exits. All rooms are equipped with the required control and alarm systems in case of fire hazard.

The AFIS works in the separated data transmission network and is not connected with the Internet. The security of data processing within the IT Network is monitored by IT experts of the Informatics Division within the National Hellenic Police. The system makes daily backup copies of all gathered data of AFIS system.

All actions of the personnel, related to data processing in the registries (databases), are recorded. All Prüm searches and their results will be logged for two years in the system in accordance with the respective Prüm legislation.

Entry to the area and buildings is secured by national police officers. Servers hosting the database are located and guarded in a restricted area. The system infrastructure is hosted in designed operation rooms within the Hellenic Police. Emergency power aggregates exists. Backup procedures for data are operative.

4.5 Data Quality

FSD fingerprint experts work in line with international quality standards and the ACE-V method.

All relevant areas of fingerprint processing methods (fingerprint visualization in dactyloscopic lab, fingerprint verification /validation work from FSD fingerprint experts) are formally EN / ISO IEC 17025 accredited by the national accreditation authority.

Experienced fingerprint experts are authorized for Prüm searches. Such experts got additional on the job training on the new AFIS and the Prüm module.

• 5. 

  Legislation

There was no need for specific implementation in national law of the provisions on dactyloscopic data exchange of Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA, because data provision and international information exchange was already covered by existing common national legislation.

The function of the Department of Fingerprints of the FSD is described in the National Legislation by Articles 39 – 44 of Presidential Decree 342/1977, as amended by Presidential Decree 14/2001, Presidential Decree 9/2012 and Presidential Decree 178/2014.

The function of the Department of Crime Scene Investigation of the FSD is described in the

National Legislation, Articles 60 – 61 of Presidential Decree 342/1977, as amended by Presidential Decree 14/2001, Presidential Decree 9/2012 and Presidential Decree 178/2014.

• 6. 

  Recommendations given to Greek authorities:

No further recommendations were made.

• 7. 

  Conclusion

Based on the outcome of the evaluation visit, the implementation of the Prüm dactyloscopic data application and the related Prüm dactyloscopic data information flow can be considered as successfully concluded both on legal and on technical level in Greece.

The evaluation team proposes that the Working Party on Information Exchange and Data Protection (DAPIX) informs the Council that for the purposes of automated searching of dactyloscopic data, Greece has satisfactorily implemented the provisions of Council Decisions 2008/615 i/JHA and 2008/616/JHA.

ANNEX I

Participants of the Evaluation:

Austria (auditors):

Reinhard SCHMID Head of Central Identification Service

Federal Ministry of the Interior

Gerhard RANFTL Deputy Head of Central Identification Service and

Head of Crime Science Service, Federal Ministry of the Interior

Werner HANZLOVIC IT system architect, Department IV/2 - IT Development,

Federal Ministry of the Interior

Ireland (observer):

Brian O´Reilly Detective Superintendent

Garda National Technical Bureau

Greece

Dr. Pinelopi MINIATI Police Major General

Forensic Science Division

Evangelos KOURIS Police Lieutenant Colonel

Forensic Science Division

Panagioti KOPITSIS s Police Major

Forensic Science Division

Georgios KARADIMAS Police Captain

Forensic Science Division

Stavroula ANGELI Police Captain

Forensic Science Division

Konstantinos ANDRIANOPOULOS Police Captain

Informatics Division

Dimitrios SKAGIAS Police Captain

Informatics Division

Vasileios GIOTOPOULOS Police Captain

Informatics Division

Athanasios BALLAS Police Major

International Police Cooperation Division

Anastasio TRIANTAFYLLOU s Police Lieutenant

International Police Cooperation Division

Konstantina-Eirini KARAGIANNI Police Lieutenant

International Police Cooperation Division

Ioannis BOUROGIANNIS Police Lieutenant

International Police Cooperation Division

Nikolaos KAPLANIS SPACE Hellas S.A.

Konstantinos TRIPOLITIS SPACE Hellas S.A.

ANNEX II

Evaluation checklist on the exchange of dactyloscopic data for Greece

• 1. 

  ORGANISATIONAL

Visited organisations/ Role in Prüm Name and surname Email address agencies/… in the information flow of the contact evaluated Member State person

Forensic Science Division

Crime Scene Investigation National contact point

Police Captain

Department (NCP) for incoming

KARADIMAS

2-6 Antigonisstr, 10442 and outgoing requests

Georgios dee3@astynomia.gr

Athens, Greece Police Major

KOPITSIS Panagiotis SIRENE Office of the

International Police Co National contact point operation Division of the (NCP) for the follow

Police Major

Hellenic Police up consultation

BALLAS Athanasios sirene@police.gr

Address: Hellenic Police procedure after hit

Headquarters – notifications

International Police

Cooperation Division – (2nd step of

SIRENE Department – P. consultation

Kanellopoulou 4 Str. – procedure)

Ampelokipoi, Athens

YES NO N/A

1.1Has the questionnaire on data protection been filled out and sent to the X

Council Secretariat?

1.2 Has the questionnaire on exchange of dactyloscopicdata been filled out X and sent to the Council Secretariat?

1.3 Does the National Contact Point (technical NCP) for incoming and X outgoing requests works according to the Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA, Art. 11?

1.4 Is the National Contact Point (technical NCP) in the position to ensure X and control the necessary technical availability according to the Council Decision 2008/616 i/JHA, Art. 5?

1.4.1. Please describe shortly the further planned data exchange workflow.

See the workflow charts in point 3.2

1.4.2. The contact address / contact person of the responsible technical NCP is:

Forensic Science Division – Crime Scene Investigation Department Forensic Identification Sector; Address see above

1.5 Is the National Contact Point (NCP) foreseen to provide further personal X data and other information exchange for incoming and outgoing requests in case of a confirmed hit (2 nd step of procedure according to 2008/615/JHA, Art.10)?

1.5.1. Please describe shortly the further planned data exchange workflow (planned communication channels and workflow of 2 nd step):

See the relevant workflow charts in point 3.2.

1.5.2. The contact address / contact person of NCP responsible for the 2nd step:

The National Contact Point (NCP) for the follow-up consultation related to post-hit notifications (the 2nd step of consultation procedure), is the: SIRENE Office of the International Police Co-operation Division of the Hellenic Police Address: Hellenic Police Headquarters – International Police Cooperation Division – SIRENE Department – P. Kanellopoulou 4 Str. – Ampelokipoi, Athens.

The International Police Co-operation Division within the Greek Police in Athens reachable for operative information exchange via secure police networks (Interpol, Europol, SIRENE).

1.6 Is the access to Prüm system given only to law enforcement personnel at a central level or has it also been decentralized, for example, to local police units?

The access to Prüm system is limited to the personnel working at the Forensic Science Division Greece.

In case of decentralized organization please describe the relation between the authorized local police unit and the NCP:

YES NO N/A

• 2. 

  TECHNICAL

2.1 Is the Prüm incoming transaction workflow a fully automated process X without human intervention?

2.2 Is the outgoing mail creation of Prüm an automated process? X

2.3 Can the Prüm system handle different levels of priority? X

2.4 Are registering, storage and deleting procedures for log data in X accordance with Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA, Art.30?

2.5 Are all types of possible transactions possible (e.g. TP/TP, TP/LT; X

LT/TP, ULP/PP)? If not, which transactions are not possible yet?

• 3. 

  FUNCTIONAL

3.1 Describe the implementation of the role of a specially authorized officer in the evaluated MS

(see Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA, Art. 30 (2.a)).

The server hosting the database is located and secured in a restricted and 24/7 monitored area of the IT Unit of Greek Police Headquarter. The system infrastructure is hosted in designated operation rooms that are additionally secured with electronic control systems. The access to Prüm functionalities can only be granted to special designated experts. The logging system is based on an operative system.

For security reasons, the access control procedure consists of two steps. IT experts create the users and designated forensic experts allocate the rights and privileges. Therefore, a person cannot have access unless this procedure is completed; equally, both ends cannot create users without the intervention of each other.

Authorized fingerprint experts check the quality of dactyloscopic data and whether the principles of good practices for consulting databases of other Member States are respected. Agreed maximum search capacities are being checked automatically from the AFIS.

The processing of such data is logged or documented for the purpose of verification of the lawfulness of the data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring proper data integrity and security. These logs and documentation may be inspected by the Data Protection Authorities.

All data required according to Council Decision 2008/615 i/JHA Art. 30 are logged in a database.

3.2 Describe in the box below the functional workflow of dactyloscopic data exchange in the evaluated MS. Please include diagram/s as well for the evaluation team to be able to get a firm idea of your national implementation.

See the relevant workflow charts below.

The Forensic Science Division (FSD) has been appointed as the Greek National Contact Point

(NCP) for the automated searching and comparison of dactyloscoping data (incoming requests).

On 30 November 2015, the “Electronic Services of Identification and Recognition of Citizens – eΤΑΠ”-project

was implemented. It included the installation of a new and contemporary Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to be used by the Hellenic Police.

The above e-TAP system, including the AFIS,. has been developed by NEC Global Corp., whose vendor is the SPACE Hellas company. The current AFIS 3.1.0.15 version. has been configured to fulfill at a high percentage the requirements of the Prüm Decisions regarding the automated exchange of dactyloscopic data. Furthermore, it can operate both in production and test environments.

The FSD terminal work stations perform a) tenprint/latent searches, b) insertion of dasctyloscopic data in A.F.I.S. and c) possible identifications. Those work stations communicate through the intranet of the Hellenic Police (Police on-line) with the AFIS. Server, which has been installed at the building of the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection (Hellenic Police Headquarters/Informatics Division). The Mail Exchange Server is situated there as well. The intranet is implemented with MPLS and GETVPN cryptography. The Mail Exchange Server belongs in a DMZ of a Firewall. Mails are being sent from the Mail Exchange Server to the s-TESTA through the public sector network of SYZEFXIS (ΣΥΖΕΥΞΙΣ).

A diagram of the technical architecture of the e-TAΠ in Greece can be seen in the below Figure 1.

Figure 1: Conceptual Architecture of the e-TAΠ System.

3.3. Interconnection Interface and Workflows regarding Prüm Searches

3.3.1. Sending request directly from AFIS terminal via Prüm proceedings

3.3.2 Receiving a result in AFIS terminal via Prüm proceedings

3.3.3. Receiving of a request via Prüm proceedings

3.3.4. Sending the result (after request) via Prüm proceedings

3.4. Greek Latent Fingerprints

Matches which include Greek Latent Fingerprints are considered part of an investigation procedure and they will be treated directly, while Greek Latent Fingerprints matched to a Prüm person could lead to the identification of these latents. The Greek National AFIS has the functionality for MMS (latent – latent searches). However, those types of transactions are not supported, and thus are not being offered for Prüm searches.

3.5. Prüm Inclusion Rules

AFIS was configured in a way to satisfy the Prüm inclusion rules as set out in Chapter 4 of Council Decision 2008/616 i/JHA and in Chapter 2 of the Annex to the same Decision.

3.6. Prüm Matching Rules

Prüm matching rules are not different with the general matching rules, which Greek experts are following. Once the results of a Prüm search have been received, all the possible matches in the list are being examined by experts, who decide on a HIT or NO HIT message. The similarity of two prints is being assessed from the number of common minutiae found, their closeness of fit, the quality of the fingerprint images, and any contradictory minutiae matching information.

3.7. Description of Prüm Step 2 Procedures for Greece (outgoing and incoming information requests after a fp hit-match)

3.7.1. Legal Infrastructure

The Hellenic Police (Forensic Science Division - FSD) under the Ministry of Public Order and

Citizen Protection is responsible for the AFIS database,. This means that dactyloscopic related information is police information. Outgoing and incoming FP related international requests for further information have to go through the International Police Cooperation Division (IPCD). All outgoing and incoming international requests concerning Prüm step 2 procedures will be processed by the SIRENE Office of the IPCD of the Hellenic Police Authorities.

3.7.2. Outgoing Requests for Information (figure 2)

After a match between Greek and foreign FP data, the match is being verified by a fingerprint expert. A confirmed match will be reported to the crime-investigating authority responsible for the case, in which the Prüm match has been found. Of the foreign “FP-profile”, only the country of origin, the type of profile (tenprint or latent) and the reference number is reported. If the aforementioned crime-investigation authority wants to proceed with the match, the SIRENE Office of the IPCD forwards, in accordance with national law (implementation of Swedish Initiative to national legal base) a request for additional information about the FP-match to the relevant Member State. Greece intends to use the UMF2 form for this purpose. After the receipt of the information from abroad, the SIRENE Office of the IPCD of the Hellenic Police Authorities will provide it to the crime-investigation authority. The evaluation of the information by the crimeinvestigation authority may result in an additional international legal request (like a request for assistance).

Figure 2: Prüm step 2 procedure in Greece for Outgoing Request.

3.7.3. Incoming Requests for Information (figure 3)

When a country has found a hit-match in the Greek AFIS and wants to receive the information associated with this “FP-profile”, it will have to send this request to the SIRENE Office of the IPCD of the Hellenic Police Authorities. The request will have to comply with the Greek intake criteria for international legal requests which are described in paragraph 4.5. The SIRENE Office of the IPCD of the Hellenic Police Authorities first obtains the information about the “FP-profile” from the FSD and/or the Greek crime-investigating authority and then makes an assessment if the request can be granted according to the Greek law. If it can, the information will be sent to the requesting authority. If the information cannot be provided, the reason for the denial will be reported back.

Figure 3: Prüm step 2 procedure in Greece for Incoming Request.

3.8 Intake Criteria for Incoming Prüm Requests for Information from Greece

3.8.1 Contents of the Request

An incoming Prüm-request for further information should at least contain the following information:

• The reference to the Greek FP data.

• The reference to the matching FP from the requesting country

• A description of the crime that is being investigated

• The date the crime was committed

• The place where it was committed

In order to be able to prioritize the requests it should also mention:

• Whether it is an actual, ongoing investigation or a “cold case”

• Whether the term of limitation for the crime is due to expire

3.9. Contact Details

3.9.1 For Prüm Information Requests about a Greek Dactyloscopic Data

SIRENE Office of the International Police Co-operation Division of the Hellenic Police Authorities

Address: Hellenic Police Headquarters – International Police Cooperation Division – SIRENE

Department – P. Kanellopoulou 4 Str. – Ampelokipoi, Athens

Post code: 101 77

• 1) 

  SIRENE Office (24 hours a day)

  E-mail: sirene@police.gr Tel.: 00-30-210-6998262 Tel.:00-30-210-6981957 Fax.: 00-30-210-6998264/265

2)Europol Office (Only during office hours)

E-mail: europol@police.gr Tel.: 00-30-210-6991714 Fax.: 00-30-210-6984286

3.9.2. National Contact Point For Incoming AFIS Requests

Forensic Science Division

Address: Forensic Science Division – Crime Scene Investigation Department – 2-6 Antigonis Str & Athinon Ave – Athens, Greece

Post code: 104 42

E-mail 1: dee@hellenicpolice.gr

E-mail 2: dee3@hellenicpolice.gr

Tel.: +30 210 5103136, +30 210 5103158-131

Fax.:+30 210 5103010