Six employees in the port of Piraeus, the largest port in Greece, who were arrested as suspected of participating in a gang that traveled cocaine hidden in containers from Latin America, were detained yesterday, according to legal sources.

This is the third case since 2023 that led to the arrest of port workers on the category of drug trafficking, as the agency reports Reuters.

The suspects, who were employed by a private company managing trade in the port of Piraeus, were arrested on Monday.

On Friday, before prosecutor, they answered questions about the accusations given to them for Participation in an international criminal organization at least in 2024. According to police sources, the detainees denied each category.

The drugs were hidden in bananas loaded with bananas, which had been sent by Ecuador, police said.

Greek Police said the investigation, which revealed gang tactics and included monitoring their communications, began after information from the US Drug Enforcement Service.

The criminal spiral, led by an Albanian gang, took advantage of employees’ access to the port facilities and the knowledge of loading and loading processes, police said.

The alleged gang members had taken over the location of the ships and the export of cocaine parcels from the containers, and one of them was in contact with drug buyers in Albania, officials added.

During the operation, 7 people were arrested and more than 34kg of cocaine, three weapons and bullets were seized. The defendants appeared before the prosecutor yesterday Friday. Six of them were detained and one seventh suspect was released.

The defense lawyer Nikos Aletras stated to Reuters that the original research was ‘Hasty’ and the decision to protect the accused was ‘Aggravation“

Cocaine production in South America has increased sharply over the last decade, with traffickers contributing to the conversion of Europe to an important consumer and a cocaine crossing point. European countries have confiscated quantities of cocaine records a year since 2017.

Police announcement

A statement on the dismantling of the international criminal organization, whose members were handling large quantities of cocaine through containers, police said.

Seven members of the organization were arrested, including the leader, and more than 34kg of cocaine were seized.

Specifically, according to ELAS, a large-scale police operation was held yesterday, Monday, in the morning, Monday, a large-scale police operation by the Drug Enforcement Division, which were arrested in a total of seven members of the organization.

They were charged with – on a case -by -case – criminal organization, attempted homicide, foreign property deterioration, bodily harm, as well as infringement of weapons and drug laws.

It was preceded by the use of information from the US Embassy’s Office in Athens, and further investigation, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Department of the 3rd Piraeus Customs, following police actions, verification, intersection of data and through the creation of profiles.

In particular, it was revealed that members of the organization with structured and constant action, with distinct roles, were operating in the sea distributing significant quantities of cocaine from Latin America to European countries, including Greece, which operated either as a destination country or as a transit,

To achieve their purpose, the transport of drugs was carried out through containers, which were hidden in Reefer Containers, while their introduction to the Greek territory was secured by accessing members of the organization to Piraeus Port and the processes.

The links of its members to the port facilities were vital to the organization, while using their know-how, they could detect and remove drugs from the containers and deliver them to the funders in Athens for further trafficking.

As for each member’s role, the following emerged:

  • The 36 -year -old was the leader of the organization, who was in charge of coordinating the introduction of drugs into the port of Piraeus, as well as their surrender to other criminal networks. At the same time, he had direct contact with the funders – clients of other criminal groups, who provided critical information (ship name, date of arrival, number/container position), which he transferred to his other business members,
  • 41 -year -old maintained close contact with the leader and the clients – funders, while working in the port of Piraeus as a contractor – machine operator, coordinating the team’s individual actions,
  • 35 -year -old who, as a contractor – lifting machine operator, was responsible for the distribution of information and the operational planning of the export of drugs from the containers,
  • 30 -year -old and 28 -year -old, business members who played an active role in approaching containers, drug posting, concealment and export from the port for delivery to recipients,
  • 34 -year -old, who assisted with information and provided assistance in moving and accessing business members to ships carrying the containers with drugs and drugs and
  • A 28 -year -old man, who was tasked with covering the actions of the team inside the port, in order not to understand the other members’ action.

As part of the operation, two of the members of the criminal organization were found in Keratsini together and on behalf of the rest of the members, with the aim of further trafficking, 30 improvised nylon packages wrapped in adhesive tape, containing more than 33 kg of cocaine, which had been cocaine.

According to the operation, the leader of the organization, driving a large vehicle, refused to stop a police signal and moved against them with an anthropic intention, injuring one of them. The attack on the second police officer was prevented, as he, along with another police officer, proceeded to targeted immobilization shots in the vehicle’s tires.

The leader continued his course, hitting a service vehicle and, despite his attempt to escape, was immobilized a few minutes later, after a new refusal to comply with a second service vehicle and a private motorcycle.

The arrest of the members of the organization followed, and from subsequent surveys conducted in houses, warehouses and by the possession of the detainees, they were found and confiscated:

  • 34.256.76 grams of cocaine,
  • 109,255 euros,
  • 3 grams of raw cannabis,
  • 3 pistols of which 2 click-brown,
  • 102 cartridges of various caliber,
  • 2 Precision Electronic Scales
  • 13 mobile phones and 2 tablets,
  • 3 cars,
  • 4 motorcycles,
  • Electronic brand money measurement device as well as
  • Numerous cargo carriers documents.

It is noted that, from the structure of the criminal organization, according to the role of each member, its transnational character and the way of acting involved (concealment of cocaine in containers, use of free -access to port areas, ships and cargoes, as well as cocaine, as well as cocaine). and illegal profits exceeding 600,000 euros.

The detainees, two of whom have been accused of similar offenses in the past, have led to the competent prosecutor’s office, while investigations to clarify the full range of action of the criminal organization are continuing.