1.6 tons of hashish found on speedboat. Shots exchanged during the chase.
drugs
28 Nov 2017
/ 09:58
Video, photos and details of the operation that started in the waters off the coast of north Corfu.
CORFU. According to official information from the Marine Ministry, a vessel with a cargo of hashish was detected off the coast of north Corfu and the Greek Port Authority-Coastguard Unit (L.S.-El.Akt) began a movie-style chase in the Ionian and Aegean over the weekend to bring down an international narcotics ring.
Up to now, 1.6 tons of unprocessed cannabis has been confiscated and following investigations in the Attica region, 10 members of the criminal organization have been arrested, including the three crew members of the speedboat.
After thorough investigations, the Port Authority and Coastguard proceeded to root out the drug trafficking criminal organization which uses high-powered speedboats. Their investigations revealed the criminal organization’s multiple levels of activity in the transportation of unprocessed Indian cannabis to various destinations, including the domestic illegal market and markets in Europe and other countries.
The operation that was put into action had comprehensive information on the speedboat (target package) and utilised various units (patrol boats and helicopters, FRONTEX aircraft, snipers from the Submarine Operations Unit) at key points along the route used by the drug traffickers. These points were chosen after examining the criminal organization’s method of operation and taking into account the exceptional skills of the speedboats’ crews.
The speedboat approached the Albanian coast to pick up the cargo of unprocessed cannabis and when it entered Greek waters, the chase began. The speedboat encountered the Port Authority’s inflatable craft and fired at it. The inflatable craft returned the fire and in its efforts to avoid the shots and the speedboat’s dangerous manoeuvrings, some men fell into the sea and were slightly injured. Finally, on the night of 25th, following a continuous process of locating and chasing the speedboat, the latter was immobilised in the area between Makronisso and Kea after snipers from the Submarine Operations Unit shot at them from a helicopter under extremely difficult conditions owing to the speed and manoeuvring of the speedboat and the dark.
Two Albanians and an Italian were arrested on the speedboat, which had different-sized packages of unprocessed Indian cannabis weighing over 1.5 tons. A patrol boat then accompanied the speedboat to the port of Piraeus, where it was handed over to the Port Authority and one of the three arrested men was taken by ambulance to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Whilst the sea chase was going on, other members of the organization were also arrested, taking the total number up to 10 – 6 Albanians, 2 Italians, 1 Bulgarian and 1 Greek. Others members are still being sought.
Whilst the speedboat was being chased, the crew threw weapons, drugs and other evidence into the sea. As well as the drugs, the following have also been confiscated by the authorities: a speedboat with three 350hp outboard motors, a speedboat with four 350hp outboard motors, weapons and other items.
The investigations are continuing and the Customs Drugs Enforcement Agency is working with European partners to find links between the leading members of the criminal organization in order to uncover the full extent of their activities in importing and distributing narcotics to Europe. Preliminary enquiries are being carried out by Piraeus Central Port Authority.
The Shipping Minister, Panagiotis Kouroublis, and the Deputy Minister, Nektarios Santorinios, congratulated the head of the Port Authority-Coastguard Unit, Vice-
Admiral Stamatio Raptis, as well as all the personnel that took part in the operation.
Up to now, 1.6 tons of unprocessed cannabis has been confiscated and following investigations in the Attica region, 10 members of the criminal organization have been arrested, including the three crew members of the speedboat.
After thorough investigations, the Port Authority and Coastguard proceeded to root out the drug trafficking criminal organization which uses high-powered speedboats. Their investigations revealed the criminal organization’s multiple levels of activity in the transportation of unprocessed Indian cannabis to various destinations, including the domestic illegal market and markets in Europe and other countries.
The operation that was put into action had comprehensive information on the speedboat (target package) and utilised various units (patrol boats and helicopters, FRONTEX aircraft, snipers from the Submarine Operations Unit) at key points along the route used by the drug traffickers. These points were chosen after examining the criminal organization’s method of operation and taking into account the exceptional skills of the speedboats’ crews.
The speedboat approached the Albanian coast to pick up the cargo of unprocessed cannabis and when it entered Greek waters, the chase began. The speedboat encountered the Port Authority’s inflatable craft and fired at it. The inflatable craft returned the fire and in its efforts to avoid the shots and the speedboat’s dangerous manoeuvrings, some men fell into the sea and were slightly injured. Finally, on the night of 25th, following a continuous process of locating and chasing the speedboat, the latter was immobilised in the area between Makronisso and Kea after snipers from the Submarine Operations Unit shot at them from a helicopter under extremely difficult conditions owing to the speed and manoeuvring of the speedboat and the dark.
Two Albanians and an Italian were arrested on the speedboat, which had different-sized packages of unprocessed Indian cannabis weighing over 1.5 tons. A patrol boat then accompanied the speedboat to the port of Piraeus, where it was handed over to the Port Authority and one of the three arrested men was taken by ambulance to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Whilst the sea chase was going on, other members of the organization were also arrested, taking the total number up to 10 – 6 Albanians, 2 Italians, 1 Bulgarian and 1 Greek. Others members are still being sought.
Whilst the speedboat was being chased, the crew threw weapons, drugs and other evidence into the sea. As well as the drugs, the following have also been confiscated by the authorities: a speedboat with three 350hp outboard motors, a speedboat with four 350hp outboard motors, weapons and other items.
The investigations are continuing and the Customs Drugs Enforcement Agency is working with European partners to find links between the leading members of the criminal organization in order to uncover the full extent of their activities in importing and distributing narcotics to Europe. Preliminary enquiries are being carried out by Piraeus Central Port Authority.
The Shipping Minister, Panagiotis Kouroublis, and the Deputy Minister, Nektarios Santorinios, congratulated the head of the Port Authority-Coastguard Unit, Vice-
Admiral Stamatio Raptis, as well as all the personnel that took part in the operation.
