Nearly 200 kilos of cocaine were discovered by the port authorities at Piraeus this morning, Thursday, May the 23rd. The drugs were concealed within two containers carrying shrimp.
The shipment originated from Latin America and was destined for Albania, from where it would be distributed across Europe. The cocaine was transported by sea, hidden within the containers by the cartels.
Four individuals were arrested in connection with the case and have been prosecuted. The detainees face charges including: leading a criminal organization, participating in a criminal organization, drug trafficking with a profit exceeding €75,000 as part of a criminal organization, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, illegal entry into the country, and possession of drugs for personal use.
The alleged mastermind is a 48-year-old Albanian who orchestrated the entire operation. It is noted that the 48-year-old had already been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in setting up and operating a synthetic drug tablet production lab in 2017, where 634,000 Captagon tablets, known as “jihadist drugs,” were found and seized.
The other arrestees include a 36-year-old responsible for recruiting new members, a 54-year-old in charge of operational security and protecting the 48-year-old by taking measures to avoid his capture, and a 64-year-old responsible for communication with the organization’s members abroad to coordinate supply and distribution. The latter had served a prison sentence in the U.S. for involvement in a weapons trafficking case from Europe.
The dismantling of the criminal organization followed a months-long investigation, during which intelligence and data were appropriately utilized, analyzed, and cross-referenced, along with other investigative methods, to identify and verify the activities of the organization’s members.
