Thessaloniki, Greece – Police in Thessaloniki have apprehended seven individuals suspected of being part of a criminal syndicate responsible for smuggling a staggering 585 kilograms of cocaine into Greece from Latin America. The arrest of the alleged gang leader and his associates marks a major victory in the fight against drug trafficking.
The purported mastermind of the criminal organization is a 50-year-old Albanian national, with the gang also including his wife, two nieces, and three other individuals. Authorities had been closely monitoring the group’s activities before taking action.
The breakthrough came when police intercepted a 21-year-old man in Thessaloniki, leading to the discovery of 239 packages of cocaine with a combined weight of 280 kilograms. A mere ten minutes later, in a different part of the city, a 33-year-old man was arrested after attempting to flee from law enforcement. In his attempt to evade capture, he had a collision with a police vehicle and crashed into a school fence. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed 238 packages of cocaine, weighing a total of 277 kilograms.
Further investigative efforts led police to the residence of the suspected ringleader. Inside the property, officers discovered an additional 23 packages of cocaine, weighing 26 kilograms, along with €7,440 in cash, seven mobile phones, four bank cards, and various other equipment.
Notably, photographs released by the police show that some of the seized cocaine packages bore Nazi swastikas. This alarming detail raises questions about potential links to international drug trafficking networks, as similar packages with Nazi markings were discovered in Peru last May. Peruvian authorities had seized cocaine packages adorned with swastikas and the name “Hitler” at a port in northern Peru, with the intended destination being Belgium.
