Authorities have obtained revealing conversations involving the drug trafficking ring on Mykonos, as members used coded expressions in their telephone communications.

One particularly characteristic conversation involves the alleged leader discussing the expansion of their activities on Mykonos. He says: “We’ll all work and we’ll be legal, and you’ll see, we’ll keep the clientele and everything,” before adding: “Before Erdogan comes, I’ll conquer Mykonos myself and hand it over to him ready-made.”

“Lahmacun,” “secret recipe,” and “colored” are among the words appearing in the recorded conversations. In one of them, a transfer driver informs the alleged leader that some American women “want the other thing,” to which the latter responds regarding the price: “That’s one-fifty (€150), non-negotiable,” and then tells him: “Tell her one-eighty (€180), one-fifty (€150).”

Other conversations reflect concern about the presence of inspectors and police on the island. “Things have gotten rough out here. Can’t you hear? Can’t you see?” the alleged leader is heard saying, while in another conversation he warns an associate that “ports and airports are very dangerous” because “SDOE [the Economic Crime Unit] will be out these next two days.”

Another particularly characteristic conversation involves the alleged leader discussing the expansion of their activities on Mykonos, saying: “We’ll all work and we’ll be legal, and you’ll see, we’ll keep the clientele and everything,” before adding: “Before Erdogan comes, I’ll conquer Mykonos myself and hand it over to him ready-made.”

The ring’s conversations in detail:

1st CHARACTERISTIC CONVERSATION

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Uh… you know who they sent me?

Leader: Who?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: The Americans?

Leader: Those ones… Yes.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: They said they want… that thing. What can I tell you now?!

Leader: The lahmacun?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: No, not the regular one. The other one, the… thing. What’s it called?! The one with the garnish, the pink one, you know what I mean.

Leader: Ahhh, yes, yes. All good, yes, man.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Yeah?!

Leader: Yes, you idiot.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: OK. I didn’t know.

Leader: Yes, man, everything, everything.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: All right. Done.

Leader: Tell her “yes” and let me know if you’re going to come by.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: OK.

Leader: This… this is… one-fifty (€150), non-negotiable, just so you know.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: OK, OK.

Leader: Tell her one-eighty (€180), one-fifty (€150).

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: All right.

Leader: All right, bye.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Bye.

Leader: Bye.

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2nd CHARACTERISTIC CONVERSATION

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Hello.

Leader: Hey! Where are you?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Hey.

Leader: Where are you?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: What?

Leader: Where are you? Where are you?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: At Veneti.

Leader: Good. Can you go back through the [inaudible] again and meet me at the high school?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: OK.

Leader: I want… the lahmacun you have in the car, the two (2).

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: You basically want the car?

Leader: No, because I have customers, you idiot. I have to take them afterward… to that thing.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: OK.

Leader: I want… all the lahmacun you have in the car.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: All right, come… to the high school.

Leader: OK, I’m coming to the high school.

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Come on.

Leader: All right, bye.

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3rd CHARACTERISTIC CONVERSATION

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Everything’s OK.

Leader: Everything’s OK?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Uh… what was I going to tell you?

Leader: What?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Man, our friends here want the secret recipe.

Leader: For the lahmacun?

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: Yes.

Leader: Tell them, “Call Chris.”

Peripheral Member – Transfer Driver: OK.

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4th CHARACTERISTIC CONVERSATION

Leader’s Close Associate: Hey, man.

Leader: Hey. Come on, tell me.

Leader’s Close Associate: I was talking to my customer, man.

Leader: Uh… and what… what were you talking about?

Leader’s Close Associate: Uh, the girl, man.

Leader: Yes. How many people are they?

Leader’s Close Associate: Uh, those two (2) from yesterday, man, what were they?

Leader: Ah, the two from yesterday?

Leader’s Close Associate: Yes, but… she told me she wants to change the… thing, man. The… the mood. [Laughs] The car.

Leader: That’s…

Leader’s Close Associate: She doesn’t like it.

Leader: Then there’s nothing else.

Leader’s Close Associate: That’s it. OK.

Leader: You know it yourself, you idiot, some… some customers are difficult.

Leader’s Close Associate: Yes, yes. Yeah, all right. That’s what I told her too, man, what… what can we do?! Isn’t the car a ’24 model?

Leader: Yes, that one. Now, if they want… what can I tell you?

Leader’s Close Associate: Uh, Mercedes!

Leader: A newer one… There are only two on the island, that’s all.

Leader’s Close Associate: Ah? Ah?

Leader: Yes. I have a trip. I’m going now […] to pick up some people.

Leader’s Close Associate: OK. And afterward?

Leader: Uh… afterward, yes…

Leader’s Close Associate: [Inaudible.]

Leader: Yes.

Leader’s Close Associate: All right. I’m going to pick them up too, man, and…

Leader: Listen; there is… there is… there is… in the bottom of the closet… if you open it, it’s there, man.

Leader’s Close Associate: Bro, I don’t know. I’ll go talk to them in person. I… I don’t know what she wants. OK?

Leader: Ah, OK. All right. See, yes, come on.

Leader’s Close Associate: All right, bye, bye.

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5th CHARACTERISTIC CONVERSATION

Distributor – Transfer Driver: [Inaudible.] It seemed to me that maybe the last time it was a little different, like this.

Leader: Which one? No, man. There’s no way, you idiot. You’ve seen the package, that it’s one package.

Distributor – Transfer Driver: Yeah? With Giannis, the [inaudible], and Giannis was telling me the same thing. I mean, either it’s different or we’ve lost it and don’t understand anymore.

Leader: All right, and at some point you guys will… you won’t understand. At some point you won’t [inaudible] understand.

Distributor – Transfer Driver: Come on, last year it was better.

Leader: Huh?

Distributor – Transfer Driver: I’m saying last year it was better, last year it was dynamite.

Leader: It depends. It’s good now too. It’s good now too.

Distributor – Transfer Driver: Last year they [inaudible], brother.

Leader: But you started it this year…

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6th CHARACTERISTIC CONVERSATION

Leader: Do you want us to find a shop in the [“fábrica”] and have three or four companies go in together and rent it, and tell everyone to go to hell, so the handsome guy can come and… [sound of sucking].

Distributor – Transfer Driver: Of course, brother, but where are you going to find that kind of shop?

Leader: You find one, man, you find one. We’ll find it.

Distributor – Transfer Driver: That’s the one they rented, the place they turned into a sweet shop.

Leader: We’ll find one, man, we’ll find one. Whoever looks, finds; whoever gets involved, finds… It’s not the way you’re saying, man. We’ll all work and we’ll be legal, and you’ll see, we’ll keep the clientele and everything… We’ll become… here… and before Erdogan comes, I’ll conquer Mykonos myself and hand it over to him ready-made.