A 65-year-old man, previously involved in illegal ammunition trafficking, was arrested as the leader of a criminal organization operating mainly in Crete and Northern Greece. The Greek police (ELAS) dismantled the group after a coordinated operation in Chania and Kastoria.

The gang had imported 25,000 bullets from Albania, reportedly meant for Cretan weddings, where it’s a tradition to fire shots into the air during celebrations.

This same man had been arrested in 2019 for attempting to smuggle over 120,000 bullets and Kalashnikov rifles hidden in a truck. That case revealed how weapons and ammo are transported into Crete’s black market — not just for crime, but also for use in weddings and social events.

Police reports say the man used to travel to Albania often, leaving his phone behind to avoid being tracked. He would even cross the border on foot to dodge checkpoints. In one instance, he backed out of a large ammo pickup, suspecting he was under surveillance.

When arrested in 2019, he claimed the bullets were for target shooting with friends in the mountains, denying any illegal activity.

Police believe he still plays a major role in supplying ammunition in Crete, especially with high demand due to many upcoming social events and a shortage of bullets.

In the past, weapons were smuggled by boats to southern Crete at night, but now most trafficking seems to happen via commercial ships arriving at the large northern ports of Heraklion and Chania. Weapons are hidden in trucks — for example, inside hay bales — making them almost impossible to detect.