Three men were arrested by officers of the Greek Coast Guard in Heraklion during an operation linked to suspected drug trafficking.

According to the Coast Guard, officers acted on intelligence and caught a 24-year-old man in the act shortly after the arrival of a ferry on the Piraeus–Heraklion route. The man was carrying a travel bag containing eight airtight packages of cannabis, of a total weight of 4,545 grams.

The investigation allegedly showed that the 24-year-old had transported the drugs for a fee on behalf of two other men, aged 24 and 30, who were found near the port and also arrested. According to reports, the man who carried the bag is believed to be a member of the ferry’s crew.

Searches were later carried out at the homes of the two co-defendants, in the presence of a judicial officer and with the assistance of the Coast Guard’s drug-detection dog, Storm.

At the home of the second 24-year-old, officers found two grams of cocaine, 12 grams of cannabis, two air pistols with cartridges and pellets, two knives, a folding metal rod, a precision scale, and €3,240 in cash.

At the 30-year-old’s residence, officers found two packages of cannabis weighing 14 and 4 grams, as well as five empty nylon packages containing cannabis residue of the same type as that found in the travel bag.

The Heraklion Central Port Authority, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, seized the drugs, three mobile phones and the cash. The narcotics will be sent to the Toxicology Unit of the University of Crete for laboratory analysis.