Greek police have broken up an international criminal organization smuggling cocaine from Latin America to Europe in containers. Greek anti-drug and anti-smuggling authorities, in cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), arrested two Albanian and two Greek citizens after a months-long investigation.
Details of the Operation
Greek law enforcement authorities seized dozens of plastic bags containing more than 210 kilograms of cocaine during a search of shrimp containers at the port of Piraeus, Euronews reported. Authorities said the criminal organization was planning to make more than 5 million euros in illicit profits from the operation.
Identities and Criminal Backgrounds of the Arrested
Among those arrested, a 48-year-old Albanian was identified as the ringleader of the group. He was previously accused of running a laboratory in Greece that produced Captagon pills, an amphetamine mixture known as “poor man’s cocaine”. More than 634,000 pills were seized at the time.
The other arrested Greek citizen was reportedly arrested in Costa Rica in 2012 on an arrest warrant issued by the United States and convicted for his involvement in smuggling weapons into Europe for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels.
Other Evidence Seized by the Police
In raids on the suspects’ homes and vehicles, police seized more than 130,000 euros in cash, a shotgun, bullets, cell phones and documents relating to drug quantities and expected profits.
Greece’s Strategic Importance
According to the authorities, Greece was used as a critical transit and destination point for drug shipments transferred from Latin America to European countries as well as to Turkey. The operation is described as a significant blow against international drug trafficking.
