Greek authorities recently arrested six dock workers at the port of Piraeus on charges of involvement in drug smuggling, marking the third incident in three years linking port employees to the cocaine trade. The workers, employed by a private freight company, deny the allegations but are accused of participating in an international organized crime network.
Reports indicate that cocaine was concealed in refrigerated containers filled with bananas shipped from Ecuador—a common smuggling method due to the high volume of bananas, which makes detection by customs more challenging. The banana-growing region near Guayaquil has become a key hub for cocaine trafficking aimed at European and North American markets.
Police investigations revealed that communications among the suspects indicated an Albanian crime syndicate orchestrated the operation, exploiting the workers’ access to the port to facilitate smuggling using “dirty” containers. Albanian mafias, notorious in the drug trade, have established strong ties with Italy’s Ndrangheta, a major player in European narcotics distribution.
This arrest followed a police operation in Neo Ikonio where four dockworkers were apprehended as cocaine was retrieved from a shipping container. A pursuit ensued when they attempted to escape in a Porsche SUV, which ended when police disabled the vehicle by shooting its tires.
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