A major police operation has been underway since this morning in various areas of Crete as part of investigations into drugs, weapons, and illegal subsidies on the island.

According to reports, the ELAS operation is taking place simultaneously in Heraklion, Zoniana, Rethymno, and Agios Nikolaos, and so far at least 15 arrests have been made.

The same sources say the case concerns a criminal organization involving members of four families, with police carrying out at least 20 house searches.

According to the information available, the investigation originally began in connection with cocaine trafficking in Crete, while additional evidence emerged from recorded conversations linked to the investigation into illegal subsidies from OPEKEPE.

Specifically, in at least one recorded conversation, a resident of Zoniana was heard trying to find animals ahead of an inspection for livestock he had declared to the authorities.

As part of the investigation, officers reportedly discovered sacks containing thousands of ear tags (the special identification tags placed on the ears of livestock such as sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs for traceability and registration), which members of the organization allegedly used to register the same animals multiple times in the system.

Among the findings so far are 30 bank accounts, cash, and a banknote-counting machine like those used by banks, which was found in the possession of a shepherd.

Police sources also report that members of one of the four families had played a peripheral role in the case involving police officer Stathis Lazaridis, who was seriously injured during a police operation in 2007 and died eight years later.