A transnational criminal organization was dismantledwhose members were active in importing with containers of large quantities of cocaine from South America to our countryfrom the Narcotics Prosecution Sub-Directorate (General Affairs Department) of the Attica Security Directorate.

According to the police, -3 people, members of the criminal organization, aged 41, 31 and 36 years old, were arrested for the case, while a case file was filed against them for criminal organization and violation of drug legislation.

It was preceded by an appropriate use of information, from the verification and cross-checking of which as well as through the creation of profiles of those involved (profiling), the structure of the criminal organization, its transnational character and the criminal activity of its members were revealed.

Specifically, at least since 2022, the defendants joined a transnational criminal organization, operationally structured and with continuous action, which was active in the trafficking of significant quantities of cocaine, from Latin America to the European market by sea.

These quantities were stored in containers and specifically in their freezers, and after they were imported into European countries, including Greece, either as a destination country or as a transit country, they were trafficked in order to obtain enormous financial benefits.

The roles in the circuit

In this context, the role of each member in the criminal organization was determined, as follows:

  • the 41-year-old, was the leader of the group of arrested personsafter he had undertaken contacts with drug importers and traffickers, coordinating the receipt of drugs from the containers and their delivery to the final traffickers,
  • the 31-year-old, was direct partner with the head regarding the receipt of the drugs from the container coolers, taking advantage of his capacity as refrigerant,
  • the 36-year-old had taken over operation of the system for locating and recording the failure of cooling mechanisms of the containers, thereby providing access to the above members of the criminal organization for the receipt – export of the drugs from the port of Piraeus.

In more detail, in order to achieve their goal, they took advantage of their status and under the pretext of damage to transport the container to a place where the repair work would supposedly be done, and thus they extracted the drugs from it.

During the operation that took place yesterday at noon, the 41-year-old man was initially identified in whose possession and in his home a quantity of cocaine was found. Subsequently, the container was searched where the -58- packages of cocaine were found.

What did the investigations find?

In total, from the searches, the following were found and seized:

  • cocaine weighing -66- kilograms and -989- grams,
  • -2- cars (one VAN type) and motorcycle,
  • precision electronic scale,
  • mobile devices, banknote counter and laptop.

Those arrested are taken to the competent prosecuting authority”.

Statements of the Director of the Attica Security Directorate, Brigadier General Ioannis Skouras regarding the case:

“Good evening.

The coordinated operation of the Narcotics Prosecution Sub-Directorate of the Attica Security Directorate delivered yet another major blow to drug trafficking rings through the arrest of three members of a transnational criminal organization and the seizure of almost -67- kilos of cocaine in the port of Piraeus.

These are three Greeks, who had joined the criminal organization at least since 2022 and were active in the trafficking of significant quantities of cocaine from Latin America to our country, which they transported by sea in container freezers.

A characteristic element of their action was that they took advantage of the professional status of the two members of the organization in order to justify their presence in an artificially defined place where the containers were placed and to proceed undisturbed in the export of the drugs from the port, without being noticed.

The operation to end the criminal activity of the members of the organization took place yesterday (October 16, 2023) at noon, with the assistance of EKAM police officers, during which the three defendants were arrested while they were located in a container and 58 packages containing a total of 66 kilograms and 700 grams of cocaine were seized.

At this point, I would like to point out that for the successful outcome of the case, the contribution and development of cooperation with the Athens DEA Office, the Prosecution and Smuggling Department of the 3rd Customs Directorate Piraeus, the Narcotics Prosecution Department of the S.D.O. .E. and the Directorate for Prosecution of Drugs and Smuggling of the Coast Guard – Hellenic Coast Guard.

For this reason, I congratulate all executives for the professionalism they demonstrated at all stages of the operation, both at the informational level and during the pre-investigative and operational part.”