Athanasios Ntounis

Vice Admiral HCG (ret), Honorary Deputy Commandant of the Hellenic Coast Guard, Former Director for Drugs and Contraband Enforcement of the Hellenic Coast Guard – P.A.D.A. Member

He was born in Koropi, Attica. In 1988 he entered the Hellenic Naval Academy. During his career he served in Directorates of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, such as the Security Directorate and the Directorate for Operational Means & Special Units at the Central Port Authorities of Pireaus, Eleusina, Rafina, Lavrio and Karistos as Harbormaster. In 2012 he took over the duties of Director of the Directorate of Drug Prosecution and Smuggling.
In 2014 he was promoted to the rank of Commodore and was appointed Supervisor in the Directorate of Drug Prosecution and Smuggling and in the Directorate of Security and Protection of Maritime Borders with parallel duties of Assistant Director of Security and Policing. In the year 2015, he was appointed Commander of the 2nd Regional Administration of Coast Guard-EL.AKT. In 2016 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral of the Coast Guard and he was assigned the duties of Commander of the 1st Regional Administration of the Coast Guard based in Piraeus. In the year 2017 he was appointed to the position of General Inspector of Coast Guard-EL.AKT. In 2018 he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and assumed the duties of Deputy Head of the Coast Guard-EL.AKT until March 2019, when he was demobilized, retaining the title of Honorary Vice President of the Coast Guard-EL.AKT. In May 2020 he was hired at the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, where he provided his services until April 2022.
He is a graduate of the Hellenic Naval Academy and of the Merchant Marine Academy with a degree of Class C Captain.
He was re-trained at the School of Postgraduate Education of the Hellenic Police and at the School of Heads of Drug Prosecution Services of D.E.A. and he has attended a series of postgraduate courses and specialized seminars in Greece and the USA on Drugs, Counter-Terrorism, Terrorist Crime Scene Investigation, Vital Facility Security, Suicide Bombers, Escorts, and Ship and Port Facility Security – I.S.P.S. Code Implementation.
He has participated in European and global Conferences on Organized Crime and the Fight against Drug Trafficking in Europe, the USA, the United Kingdom, Russia, etc. He has extensive experience at the operational level as he has undertaken special operations to detect and dismantle international drug trafficking and cigarette smuggling networks with ship seizures, and to coordinate actions in order to deal with gatherings. Furthermore, he has participated in the coordination of ship escorts for high-risk persons, as well as in the planning for the safety of the Olympic Facilities of the 2004 Olympic Games.
He has taught at the Schools of Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Coast Guard-EL.AKT.
He has been awarded the 2nd Class Nautical Medal for the dismantling of international drug trafficking networks, all the projected badges according to his rank, Medals and Commemorations, approval by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Greece for the dismantling of international cigarettes smuggling networks and dozens of moral rewards from the Hellenic Coast Guard.