The months-long and thorough investigations led the police officers of the Narcotics Prosecution Department of the Kalamata Security Sub-Directorate to dismantle a criminal organization, whose members were active in the internal cultivation of cannabis plants and subsequently in the trafficking of the produced quantity in areas of Attica.

In order to dismantle the criminal organization, yesterday (2.5.2023) in the morning, large-scale parallel police operations were carried out in areas of Attica, by police officers of the Narcotics Prosecution Department of the Kalamata Security Sub-Directorate, with the assistance of police officers of the Special Repressive Anti-Terrorist Unit (E. K.A.M.) and the Crime Prevention and Suppression Teams (OPKE) of Messinia.

In the context of the operations, -2- nationals, aged 58 and 39 years, respectively, members of the criminal organization, were arrested, against whom a case was filed for criminal organization and violation of drug legislation.

The case file also includes a 60-year-old citizen, who is wanted.

In particular, after a long-term and thorough police investigation conducted by the Narcotics Prosecution Department of the Kalamata Security Sub-Directorate, utilizing appropriate and combined evidence, as well as the results of natural and scientific methods, it emerged that the above, at least for the last six months, were active in the cultivation of cannabis plants in interiors of isolated and multi-level houses (villas) and then trafficked the produced quantities (of the “skunk” type) in various regions of Attica.

How did they work?

As emerged from the thorough investigation, the organization had a hierarchical structure, with continuous action and distinct roles, while the 58-year-old arrested was the leading member.

Specifically, the 58-year-old, in addition to founding, managing and directing the organization, was the one who rented an isolated residence in the region of South-Eastern Attica and at the same time rented a second space, where with the assistance of the other members, these spaces were appropriately configured in illegal laboratories for the indoor cultivation of cannabis plants and the harvesting of the quantities produced, with artificial conditions of heating, lighting and ventilation.

The members of the criminal network, in order to cover up their illegal activity and divert the investigations of the prosecuting authorities, used telephone connections that were not declared in their real data, but in the data of other persons or foreign nationals of third countries (“ghost persons” ), while during the conversations between them they communicated with a predetermined coordination code.

What did the investigations find?

During the large-scale operation, yesterday (2.5.2023) morning hours, parallel searches were carried out in the homes and other places of the arrested, where they found and confiscated:

  • in the -2- villas, -2- fully organized and properly configured, indoor cannabis plant cultivation laboratories, within which -552- cannabis plants were cultivated, in an equal number of pots with soil, in three different stages of maturation, robust and healthy, up to – 150-cm, approx., as well as -172- harvested cannabis plants, up to -150 cm, approx.
  • quantities of cannabis, total weight -30,972.5- grams,
  • quantities of processed cannabis (chocolate type), total weight -56.8- grams,
  • quantities of hemp oil, total weight -84- milliliters,
  • -2- cannabis cigarettes,
  • -5- precision scales,
  • -2- mobile phones,
  • -1- vehicle, as a means of committing criminal acts,
  • the sum of two hundred and five -205- euros, as derived from drug trafficking,
  • equipment for indoor cultivation of cannabis plants (multigrid, timers, fans, high-power lamps, thermometers, hydrometers, etc.),
  • packages of rooting and liquid fertilizers,
  • electronic laminator for air-tight packaging of quantities and
  • manual metal thermo-press.

Finally, from the action of the members of the criminal organization, it is estimated that the expected profits that the organization would obtain are estimated at -700,000- euros.

Those arrested will be prosecuted, while the police investigation and preliminary investigation work are carried out by the Narcotics Prosecution Department of the Kalamata Security Directorate.