More than 210 kilos of cocaine carefully hidden in containers with frozen shrimps were found after a coordinated action by the Narcotics Prosecution sub-directorate of the Attica Security Directorate, last night in the port of Piraeus.

According to a police announcement, the cargo arrived from Latin America and the spiral had international action. The transportation of cocaine was done by sea and they hid it in containers for their further importation and trafficking in European countries, including our country, in order to obtain illegal profits of a large amount.

To deconstruct the criminal organization, cooperation was developed with the DEA Office of the US Embassy. in Athens, the Special Repressive Anti-Terrorist Unit of the Directorate of Special Police Forces and the Narcotics Prosecution Department of the Third Customs of Piraeus, with the assistance of the Narcotics and Weapons Prosecution Department of the S.D.O.E. and the Directorate of Prosecution of Drugs & Smuggling of the Coast Guard – Hellenic Coast Guard.

It was preceded by a multi-month investigation where, through appropriate utilization, analysis and cross-checking of information and data and other investigative methods, it was possible to identify and verify the action of the members of the organization.

cocaine

At the same time, the business structure and professional infrastructure that they possessed emerged, which ensured their uninterrupted criminal activity over time, specifically the transportation and trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, from which they obtained enormous illegal income exceeding -€5,000,000-.

At the same time, the role of each of the members of the organization was specified, as follows:

  • 48-year-old, had assumed the management and direction of the criminal organization and specifically the finding of the trafficked quantities of drugs, the financing of the purchase and the transport, the organization of the shipment of the drugs from Latin America, as well as the hiding of the drugs in containers directed the country and their further movement,
  • 36 years old, had undertaken to find and recruit other members,
  • 64 years old, communicated with other members of the organization who were based abroad to coordinate the supply and financing of the quantities to be trafficked and
  • 54-year-old, was tasked with the operational coverage and protection of the 48-year-old, taking appropriate measures to avoid his arrest.

To put an end to their action, a police operation was carried out in the morning hours yesterday, Wednesday 22/05/2024, during which the 48-year-old was located and in his possession were found for the purpose of further trafficking -180- improvised nylon packages containing cocaine, totaling of a combined weight of -210- kilograms and -300- grams.

In searches carried out in homes and vehicles, the following were additionally found and seized:

  • cocaine with a total weight of -510- grams,
  • raw hemp weighing -1.5- grams,
  • the sums of -€131,675- and -30- British pounds,
  • pistol with a magazine of fifteen (15) rounds,
  • 37 cartridges of 9 mm and -3- cartridges of 7.65 mm,
  • scale,
  • 2- motorcycles,
  • 17- mobile telephone devices,
  • memory card (usb device),
  • 3- electronic devices for geographic location (GPS tracker),
  • container closure seal and
  • many pages of handwritten notes.

It is noted that a 20-year prison sentence and a fine were pending against the 48-year-old leading member, as in 2017 he was accused of being in charge of the installation and operation of a laboratory for the production of synthetic drug tablets, where more than 634,000 CAPTAGON tablets were found and confiscated.