Drug seizure worth €380,000 at Eleftherios Venizelos – Swedish 32-year-old arrested
Hellenic Coast Guard officials dismantled a drug trafficking network at Athens airport, seizing cocaine and cannabis worth more than €380,000.
Drug trafficking network with shipments from Brazil and USA detected at Eleftherios Venizelos airport
Hellenic Coast Guard officials dismantled a drug import and trafficking network operating through Athens International Airport, according to Dikastiko.gr. A total of more than 7.5 kilograms of cocaine and cannabis was seized, with an estimated street value exceeding €380,000. A 32-year-old Swedish national was arrested in connection with the case.
The operation began on 6 October 2026, following intelligence gathered by the Regional Drug Prosecution Task Force of Patras Port Authority Headquarters. Coast Guard personnel, in cooperation with the Drug and Smuggling Prosecution Directorate of the Coast Guard Headquarters and customs officials from the Eastern Attica Customs Office, located a suspicious wooden crate in an airport warehouse.
Cocaine hidden in crate floor from Brazil
The crate originated from Brazil. During inspection with the assistance of "MESCAL", a specially trained narcotics detection dog, four plastic packages of cocaine with a total net weight of 2 kilograms and 235 grammes were discovered. The substances were concealed in a specially constructed hiding place within the wooden floor of the crate.
Following approval from the Athens Court of Appeal prosecutor, a controlled delivery procedure was implemented. The operation concluded on 14 October with the arrest of the 32-year-old recipient in the Attica region.
Second shipment of cannabis from the United States
On the same day, under the supervision of the competent prosecutor for criminal prosecution in Athens, Coast Guard personnel discovered a second suspicious crate in the airport warehouses, sent from the United States of America. The recipient was again the same 32-year-old foreign national.
The dog "MESCAL" detected ten airtight plastic packages of unprocessed hydroponic cannabis, known as "skunk", with a total net weight of 5 kilograms and 317 grammes, within the crate.
Total seizure and international investigations
From the two shipments, a total of 2,235 grammes of cocaine, 5,317 grammes of cannabis and one mobile telephone device were seized. According to estimates by the prosecution authorities, the financial benefit from trafficking these quantities on the black market exceeds €380,000.
The preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Regional Drug Prosecution Task Force of Patras Port Authority Headquarters. The Drug and Smuggling Prosecution Directorate is already cooperating with the competent prosecution authorities in Brazil and the United States, with the aim of investigating the international connections of the criminal network.
Kikilia: "Zero tolerance"
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy Vassilis Kikilia commented on the operation's success through a post on platform X whilst in Japan to strengthen bilateral cooperation. "In Japan, where I am to strengthen cooperation between our two countries, I learned with pride of yet another major success by our Coast Guard," Kikilia stated.
The minister congratulated Coast Guard personnel and emphasised: "Congratulations to the men and women of the Hellenic Coast Guard who work day and night with a sense of responsibility to society and especially the younger generation. The results speak for themselves." Concluding, Kikilia declared: "We continue. Zero tolerance for drugs and organised crime."
Source: Dikastiko.gr