Greek police headquarters
Athens, October 26, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
Disruption of a criminal organization that trafficked drugs in Kalamata – 4 arrests – seizure of 1.7 kg of cocaine
During the operation, the leader of the organization tried to escape arrest, hitting a policeman at speed with the vehicle he was driving, injuring him and causing damage to an official vehicle, while he then tried to injure two other policemen
A case file was established – as the case may be – for drugs, weapons, money laundering, attempted murder, infidelity and violence against employees
Also confiscated were -80- cartridges, -13- anabolic preparations and -9,815- euros
A criminal organization that was active in the trafficking of narcotic substances and specifically cocaine, in the wider area of Kalamata, was dismantled from the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Human Trafficking of the Attica Security Directorate.
For the case, -4- people were arrested, members of the organization, accused – as the case may be – of violating the laws on drugs, weapons, money laundering, as well as attempted murder, insubordination and violence against employees.
In order to certify their criminal activity, a thorough pre-investigative investigation by police officers of the Organized Crime and Human Trafficking Sub-Directorate, with the assistance of police officers from the Kalamata Security Department and the Kalamata Narcotics Prosecution Department, was preceded.
In this context, it emerged that the defendants, at least since April 2023, had founded and joined a criminal organization, with a professional structure, while they had developed distinct roles with the aim of obtaining a large illegal financial benefit.
In particular, they procured large quantities of drugs, which they sold to their customers, inside a store of health interest, the owner of which is the leader of the organization.
Regarding the mode of action (modus operandi), the members of the gang used a specific methodology, namely:
they stored the drugs in places – “cabins” that they used in a wooded area, outside the city of Kalamata,
they distributed the narcotic substances in improvised packages, which they transported to the store for their further distribution,
they were taking counter-surveillance measures, using two vehicles during their transport process, in order to avoid possible police control and arrest.
From the months-long investigation, the role of each member of the ring was also determined as follows:
53-year-old, as the leader of the criminal organization, had taken over the coordination of the other members of the organization for the trafficking of drugs, inside the store of health interest,
44-year-old and 41-year-old, employees of the store, had undertaken the trafficking of narcotics on behalf of the organization,
A 44-year-old man, together with the leader, had undertaken the transport of the drugs from the “bags” used in the store.
The dismantling of the criminal organization took place after a police operation that took place yesterday, Wednesday, October 25, 2023, in the morning in the area of Kalamata, with the assistance of officers from the Messinia Police Department, the Kalamata Security Department and a specially trained police dog, during which they were detected the leader of the organization with two members moving in two vehicles, near the “kavatza”, where they were arrested.
In fact, during the development of the police operation, the leading member strongly resisted while previously trying to escape arrest, speeding with the vehicle he was driving, dragging and injuring a police officer and causing damage to an official vehicle. At the same time, he tried to injure two other police officers, who, however, managed to stop him in time, carrying out a successful immobilization shot at the tire of the vehicle.
In investigations carried out at the store, their other accomplice was also identified, who was also arrested, while in total the following were found and confiscated:
-1- kilogram and -783.5- grams of cocaine,
-80- cartridges,
preparations of anabolic substances,
3 pepper sprays,
-9,815. euro and
-5- vehicles.
Those arrested were taken to the competent prosecutor’s office, while the investigations to fully verify the scope of their action continue.
Read the original at Defence247.gr
