Heraklion: Seven of 16 arrested for drug trafficking criminal organisations remanded in custody
Seven of the 16 defendants accused of involvement in two criminal organisations trafficking drugs in Heraklion were remanded in custody following their examination.
Heraklion: Seven of 16 arrested for drug trafficking criminal organisations remanded in custody
Following marathon examinations lasting several hours, seven of the 16 people arrested for involvement in drug networks in Crete were sent to prison. The remaining nine were released on bail with restrictive conditions.
The arrests had been made the previous week during an extensive police operation across several municipalities on the island, including Heraklion, Malevizi, Chersonissos, Mylopotamos and Agios Nikolaos.
According to the case file, the defendants are implicated in two separate criminal groups that were operating in the trafficking of psychotropic substances. A total of 77 people are involved in the case, as in addition to the 16 arrested, another 61 people are included in the case file.
The defence team of two defendants, two brothers aged 21 and 27, argued that their clients were merely drug users and not members of an organised network. The lawyer spoke of "horizontal treatment" by the justice system, without sufficient evidence proving their participation in a structured criminal organisation.
During the authorities' investigations, cannabis quantities exceeding five kilograms, 112.7 grammes of cocaine, assault rifles, firearms, ammunition, the sum of 33,715 euros, mobile phones, 12 vehicles and motorcycles were found and seized.
The operation involved police forces from various services in Crete, including Crime Prevention and Suppression Units, the Tactical Special Operations Unit, as well as departments from Heraklion and Rethymno.
Source: ERT News
Source: ERT