Greek authorities have uncovered an alleged international drug trafficking network after discovering cocaine and cannabis hidden inside two shipments at Athens International Airport, with the help of a specially trained detection dog named Mezcal.
The operation, conducted by the Hellenic Coast Guard in cooperation with customs officials, led to the seizure of 2.235 kilograms of cocaine and 5.317 kilograms of hydroponically grown cannabis, commonly known as skunk. A 32-year-old Swedish national was arrested in Attica on October 14.
The investigation began after the Coast Guard received information about suspected drug trafficking and identified a suspicious wooden crate shipped from Brazil.
Cocaine hidden inside a wooden crate from Brazil
On October. 6, members of the Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team of the Patras Central Port Authority, working with the Coast Guard’s Directorate for Combating Drugs and Smuggling and customs officials from the Eastern Attica Customs Office, inspected a suspicious shipment at the airport’s cargo warehouses.
NEWSLETTER TABLE TALK
Never miss a story.
Subscribe now.
The most important news & topics every week in your inbox.
The specially trained narcotics detection dog Mezcal alerted officers to the wooden crate. A search uncovered four plastic packages containing cocaine, with a total gross weight of 2,235 grams, concealed in a specially constructed compartment inside the crate’s wooden floor.
After approval from the Athens Appeals Prosecutor, authorities initiated a controlled delivery operation, allowing the shipment to proceed under surveillance. The operation resulted in the arrest of the Swedish national, identified as the intended recipient, in Attica on October 14.
Second shipment contained more than 5 kilograms of cannabis
Later on October 14, as the investigation continued, officers identified a second suspicious shipment at the airport’s warehouses. The cardboard box had arrived from the United States, and the same man was listed as its final recipient.
With assistance from Mezcal, officers discovered 10 airtight plastic packages containing hydroponically grown cannabis, with a total gross weight of 5,317 grams.
Authorities seized both drug shipments, along with a mobile phone.
Investigation into international network continues
The estimated proceeds from selling the seized drugs on the illegal market exceed €380,000, according to the authorities.
The Patras Central Port Authority’s Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team is conducting the preliminary investigation.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard’s Directorate for Combating Drugs and Smuggling is working closely with law enforcement authorities in the countries from which the shipments originated to identify the wider reach of the alleged transnational criminal network.