One more person was arrested on Sunday alleged to be involved in the major heroin haul that was found last Thursday in two warehouses in Attica region.
According to Coast Guard sources, the arrested is an Albanian national to who was sent a SMS and had managed to escape. The suspect gave himself in voluntarily.
Eleven people arrested over one of the largest heroin hauls seized in Europe – totalling more than a tonne – got an extension on Friday evening to testify this coming week.
The 1,133.420 kilos of heroin, packed in a total of 443 plastic parcels, was stored in two batches of about 500 kilos each – one in a warehouse in Koropi and another in Filothei, at the house of a shipowner who allegedly owns four oil tankers in Dubai. The value of the drug is estimated over 200.000.000 euros.
Of those arrested and being held at the Central Port Authority detention centre in Piraeus, six are Greek and five are Turkish nationals.
According to unofficial sources, the Greeks arrested include the shipowner Giannoussakis, his wife, and their underage son. The Greek nationals will testify on Tuesday and the Turkish ones on Wednesday. None of them were named because the operation is still under way, the Coast Guard said.
Moreover, authorities confiscated six luxurious cars, one pistol and a cartridge and 6.235 euros in cash
The breakup of the drug ring came after a major coordinated sweep involving the Greek Police, the Greek Coast Guard, the Financial Crimes unit of the Finance ministry and the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and was made public at a press conference by the Coast Guard on Friday.
Merchant Marine Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis congratulated the staff of the Greek Coast Guard for the successful outcome of the operation that led to the seizure of the largest quantity of heroin ever located on land in Greece as well as for the arrest of members of the drug dealing ring. Varvitsiotis also congratulated the Greek police, the Financial Crimes Squad and the US Drug Squad (DEA) for the excellent cooperation.
Those arrested were read charges on violation of the law on drugs, the creation of a criminal organisation, drug trafficking, and other charges that include illegal possession of weapons.
