Greece on Tuesday vowed to put sports hooligans into jail in a bid to crack down on sports violence after a series of widely-publicized incidents.

"Violence at sports stadia has become a real plague," Greek Justice Minister Anastasios Papaligouras said after meeting with Deputy Sports Minister George Orfanos.

"This is a situation that the state will no longer tolerate," he added.

He said a draft bill would ensure adult hooligans face prison, rather than suspended sentences or fines, when convicted.

The draft bill on hooliganism is expected to be debated in parliament on Thursday.

Hooliganism and damage to property have become common at major domestic football and basketball matches.

In May, AEK Athens soccer supporters rioted aboard a passenger ferry that was bringing them back from the island of Crete after the Greek Cup final, won by Olympiakos. The ferry boat was damaged by the hooligans with an estimated loss of 150,000 euros.