Greek port workers jailed pending trial on drug smuggling charges
By Yannis Souliotis
Six workers at Greece's largest port Piraeus, arrested for allegedly participating in a gang smuggling cocaine hidden in shipping containers from Latin America, were jailed pending trial on Friday, legal sources said.
The case is the third investigation since 2023 that has led to the arrest of port workers on drug trafficking charges.
The suspects, employed by a private company handling cargo operations at Piraeus port were arrested on Monday. On Friday they responded to charges including participation in an international criminal organisation at least since 2024, according to police officials. They have denied wrongdoing.
The drugs were concealed in refrigerated containers loaded with bananas which were shipped from Ecuador, the police said.
Greek police said the investigation, which revealed the gang's tactics and included surveillance of their communications, was launched after a tip-off by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The criminal ring, led by an Albanian gang, exploited the workers' access to port facilities and knowledge of loading and unloading cargo procedures, the police officials said.
The alleged gang members were tasked with locating the ships and extracting the cocaine parcels from the containers, and one of them was in contact with the drug buyers in Albania, the officials added. Three guns and bullets were confiscated during the operation.
Defence lawyer Nikos Aletras told Reuters that the initial investigation was "rushed" and the charges were aggravated, as seven suspects appeared before a prosecutor on Friday to respond to the accusations. Six of them were later detained pending trial and a seventh suspect was released.
South American production of cocaine has surged over the past decade, with traffickers helping to turn Europe into a major consumer and a transit point for cocaine. European countries have been seizing record quantities of cocaine annually since 2017.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Hong Kong Issues Arrest Warrants for 19 Overseas Activists Accused of Subversion
HONG KONG, July 25 (Reuters) – Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet. They are accused of organising or participating in the 'Hong Kong Parliament', a group that authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial 'Hong Kong Parliament' group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a 'Hong Kong constitution'. Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow. Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organised or run in the election and sworn in as its councillors. None of the accused could be reached for comment. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday condemned the move, which he said targeted some U.S.-based individuals. 'We will not tolerate the Hong Kong government's attempts to apply its national security laws to silence or intimidate Americans or anyone on U.S. soil,' he wrote in a statement, calling it 'a form of transnational repression.' The UK's Foreign and Home Secretaries also condemned the move in a joint statement, calling the arrests 'another example of transnational repression' and saying it damages Hong Kong's international reputation. '(The UK) will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas,' it said in a statement on Friday. In response, the Chinese embassy in the UK said the British government's remarks 'constitute a gross interference' in China's internal affairs and the rule of law in Hong Kong. 'China urges the UK to abandon its colonial mentality, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs…stop shielding criminals,' it said. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a 'one country, two systems' formula. Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019. Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender. 'If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment,' they said in a statement. Police also warned that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the 'Hong Kong Parliament' could be a criminal offense. ($1=7.8488 Hong Kong dollars)
Nikkei Asia
2 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Thai-Cambodian border clashes spread to previously peaceful areas
Thai civilians shelter in a hall in Surin province near the Cambodian border on July 25 after fleeing their homes to escape cross-border shelling. Hundreds of thousands of people have evacuated from border areas in both countries to escape the worst fighting between the neighbors in a decade. © Reuters ANANTH BALIGA and YUICHI NITTA PHNOM PENH/BANGKOK -- The cross-border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalated dramatically on Saturday, the third day of clashes, as the fighting spread from long-contested territory to hitherto peaceful regions. Cambodia's Defense Ministry accused the Thais of an "unprovoked and premeditated act of aggression" at 5:02 a.m., "involving the firing of five heavy artillery shells into multiple locations in Ekphap Village, Thmor Da Commune, Veal Veng District, Pursat Province."
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists accused of subversion
Images of five activists Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi are displayed during a press conference to issue arrest warrants in Hong Kong, China December 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu By Jessie Pang Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet. They are accused of organising or participating in the "Hong Kong Parliament", a group that authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial "Hong Kong Parliament" group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a "Hong Kong constitution". Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow. Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organised or run in the election and sworn in as its councillors. None of the accused could be reached for comment. The UK's Foreign and Home Secretaries condemned the move in a joint statement, calling the arrests "another example of transnational repression" and saying it damages Hong Kong's international reputation. "(The UK) will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas," it said in a statement on Friday. In response, the Chinese embassy in the UK said the British government's remarks "constitute a gross interference" in China's internal affairs and the rule of law in Hong Kong. "China urges the UK to abandon its colonial mentality, stop interfering in Hong Kong shielding criminals," it said. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a "one country, two systems" formula. Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019. Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender. "If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment," they said in a statement. Police also warned that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the "Hong Kong Parliament" could be a criminal offense. © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
