Seizure of 18 kilograms of cocaine in Lavrio – 43-year-old British national arrested
Port Authority officers seized 127 packages of cocaine weighing 18.1 kilograms from a hidden compartment in a vehicle at Lavrio port. A 43-year-old British national was arrested.
Port Authority of Piraeus: 127 cocaine packages in secret vehicle compartment
Officers from the Security Bureau of the Central Port Authority of Piraeus identified and seized over 18 kilograms of cocaine at the commercial port of Lavrio, simultaneously proceeding with the arrest of a 43-year-old British national. According to Dikastiko.gr, the operation was initiated based on information utilised by the Directorate for the Prosecution of Drug Trafficking and Smuggling of the Headquarters of the Port Authority – Hellenic Coast Guard.
Security officers identified the 43-year-old moving with a passenger vehicle bearing foreign licence plates within Lavrio port. The trained drug detection dog participating in the inspection immediately gave a positive indication, with the result that the driver and vehicle were transferred to the central Piraeus port for thorough investigation.
The hidden compartment and the 127 packages
During an extensive inspection of the vehicle, Port Authority officers discovered a total of 127 plastic cocaine packages with a combined weight of 18 kilograms and 113 grams. The packages were concealed in two locations: in the roof of the luggage compartment and in a specially constructed hidden compartment beneath the main storage area.
This hidden compartment was not part of the factory construction of the vehicle; it opened via a concealed button that had been installed afterwards inside the vehicle.
From the Central Port Authority of Piraeus, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, the quantity of narcotics, the vehicle, and a mobile telephone device were seized. The cocaine is to be sent for chemical analysis to the State General Chemical Laboratory.
Kikilia: illegal proceeds exceeding €1.3 million
The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vasilis Kikilia, referred to the success of the operation in a post on X. According to the minister, the expected illegal proceeds from trafficking the seized quantity are estimated to exceed €1.3 million.
Kikilia commended the officers of the Port Authority – Hellenic Coast Guard for their professionalism, emphasising the state's continuous support for their work. "We support the women and men of the Port Authority daily in the fight against drugs. For the safety of our citizens and the protection of our children," he stated characteristically.
Source: Dikastiko.gr