Piraeus: 2 shipments of cocaine with a total weight of 310 kg were discovered

On May 23, 2 shipments of cocaine were discovered in the port of Piraeus. In the morning, 210 kilograms of cocaine were found in one of the containers, and in the evening about 100 kilograms more.

The search for the second batch began in the morning and yielded results late in the evening. The case that is currently being formed is being conducted separately from the case concerning the party weighing 210 kilograms.

The drugs were found in containers shipped from a Latin American country. According to the same information, the containers where the drugs were hidden contained frozen shrimp.

Police said they collaborated with the US Drug Enforcement Administration to locate the container containing 210 kilograms of drugs, valued at more than 5 million euros.

The final destination of the drug shipment was Albania, from where it was to be distributed to the countries of Central and Northern Europe. According to reports, four people have been arrested in this case: two Greeks and two Albanians. One of the Greeks was arrested in 2012 in Costa Rica for transporting weapons.

“The counter-narcotics unit of the Attica Security Directorate dismantled a criminal organization of an international nature, whose members were actively involved in smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Latin America. They transported it by sea and hid it in containers for further import and trade in European countries, including our country, in order to obtain large illegal profits.

To dismantle the criminal organization, cooperation was established with the DEA Section at the US Embassy in Athens, the Special Anti-Terrorism Unit of the Special Police Department and the Anti-Narcotics Section of the Third Customs Directorate of Piraeus, with the assistance of the SDOE Anti-Narcotics and Weapons Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Coast Guard smuggling. The operation was preceded by a months-long investigation, during which, through the proper use, analysis and cross-referencing of information and data, as well as other investigative techniques, it was possible to identify and verify the actions of members of the organization.

At the same time, it was revealed the operational structure and professional infrastructure that they possessed and which ensured the uninterrupted criminal activities, in particular the transport and trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, from which they received exorbitant illicit income exceeding €5,000,000. The role of each member of the organization was defined:

• The 48-year-old took over the leadership and management of the criminal organization, in particular, determining the quantity of drugs being trafficked, financing purchases and transportation, organizing the supply of drugs from Latin America, as well as hiding drugs in containers heading into the country and their further trafficking,
• The 36-year-old was responsible for searching and recruiting other members,
• 64 year old communicated with other members of the organization located abroad to coordinate the supply and financing of quantities of drugs subject to illicit trafficking;
• The 54-year-old was responsible for the operational protection and protection of the 48-year-old, taking appropriate measures to avoid his arrest.

To put an end to their actions, a police operation was carried out in the morning hours of Wednesday 22/05/2024, during which the leader was identified, and 180 homemade nylon bags of cocaine with a total gross weight of 210 kilograms and 300 grams were found in his possession for further trafficking.

During searches carried out in houses and vehicles, the following were discovered and seized:

• cocaine with a total weight of 510 grams,
• raw hemp weighing 1.5 grams,
• cash amounts of 131,675 euros and 30 pounds sterling,
• a pistol with a magazine containing fifteen (15) rounds of ammunition,
• 37 rounds of 9 mm caliber and 3 rounds of 7.65 mm caliber,
• scales,
• 2 motorcycles,
• 17 mobile phones,
• memory card (USB device),
• 3- electronic geolocation devices (GPS tracker),
• Pa pawn for closing the container;
• several pages of handwritten notes.

It is noted that the leader is expected to face a 20-year prison sentence and a fine, since in 2017 he was accused of creating and operating a laboratory for the production of synthetic drug tablets, where more than 634,000 CAPTAGON tablets were discovered and seized. In addition, the 64-year-old criminal was serving a prison sentence in the United States for his participation in the case of arms supplies from Europe.

Investigations are ongoing to establish the full extent of the criminal organization's illegal activities and any links between it and other similar networks, as well as to identify other members.

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