Greek police seize nearly 1.2 tonnes of cocaine

·

Greek police say they seized nearly 1.2 tonnes of cocaine and arrested 8 alleged members of an international drug trafficking gang.

Almost all of the cocaine, 1.18 tons, was found during a Friday afternoon raid at a house in the western Greek port of Astakos, police spokesman Theodoros Chronopoulos said Saturday.

The drugs were carefully packaged in 1,040 nylon bags, ready to be distributed to intermediaries, Chronopoulos said.

Four more home raids in the Athens area yielded a small amount of cocaine, some cannabis, an AK-47 assault rifle and three pistols. Police also seized over 233,000 euros ($257,000) in cash and impounded five vehicles.

Major General Petros Tzeferis, head of the Attica Security Directorate, said the cocaine came from the Caribbean and was destined to countries in Europe and northwest Africa.

Tzeferis said the investigation took six months and Greek police were aided by colleagues in Albania and Spain, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration office at the U.S. Embassy in Athens.

Chronopoulos said the drug gang’s leaders were two permanent residents of Spain, with several Albanian citizens as underlings. Police were looking for nine alleged members not yet under arrest.

Two of the people already detained were guarding the stash at the house in Astakos, Chronopoulos said. Three other suspects who allegedly rented a van to pick up the packaged cocaine also were arrested.

Tzeferis said that some of those arrested were already known to police. Four had prior arrests; one had been arrested five times, for armed robbery, attempted murder and drug offences.

Tzeferis added that the gang’s estimated earnings from drug dealing “exceed 50 million euros” ($55 million).

Sourced via AP.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

Two Greek businesses in NSW win in the Delicious 100 awards

As the results are announced for the Delicious 100 foodie awards, two Greek businesses in New South Wales have claimed wins.

Emotional victory for Thanasi Kokkinakis as he prepares to face Tsitsipas in second round

Thanasi Kokkinakis couldn't help but break into tears after beating Kwon Soon-woo 6-4 6-1 6-1, claiming his first Australian Open win since 2015.

Insight or Perspective: Keeping the Greek language alive

"It isn’t enough to want to keep the language alive. We must act if we truly value it," writes Eleni Elefterias.