Four Britons have been arrested in a raid on a luxury Greek villa after police seized 660 pounds of cocaine in a major drugs raid, sparking a global manhunt for their kingpin.
The London and Liverpool suspects, aged 38, 45, 48 and 52, allegedly smuggled the huge £12million shipment of bananas from Colombia to the port city of Thessaloniki, bound for distribution across Europe and Australia.
One of the men in the alleged ring is the brother of a major British drug lord known as “modern-day Pablo Escobar,” 41, who is said to be responsible for 10 percent of the world’s cocaine trade.
Four Brits have been arrested in a raid on a luxury Greek villa after police seized £660 of cocaine in a major drugs raid (pictured in court)
The London and Liverpool suspects, aged 38, 45, 48 and 52, allegedly smuggled the huge £12million shipment (pictured) in a banana shipment from Colombia
The four suspects were arrested at the £1,700 rental property (pictured) where one of them allegedly attempted to steal an officer’s gun
Footage shows armed police officers arriving at the property, where one of the suspects attempted to grab a gun
The four suspects were arrested at the £1,700-a-month rental property, where one of them allegedly attempted to steal an officer’s gun before police overpowered him.
According to the police, in addition to the drugs, which were distributed in 260 packages, a pistol loaded with nine shots, a box with 41 cartridges, 1,000 euros in cash, 11 mobile phones and portable radios were confiscated in the bust.
Two of those arrested are “leaders of an international drug trafficking ring” and a fifth person is wanted in connection with the seizure, police said.
The suspects appeared in court today but have not commented on their arrest.
During the raid, police also found a pistol loaded with nine cartridges, cartridges and 1,000 euros in cash
Two of those arrested were “leaders of an international drug trafficking ring” and said a fifth person was wanted in connection with the seizure, police said
The huge shipment of cocaine was shipped from South America in a shipment of bananas destined for distribution in Europe and Australia
The drugs had been divided into 260 boxes, and police also found walkie-talkies and cellphones
The wanted cocaine kingpin is already wanted by American authorities and is believed to have recently traveled to Africa and Mexico before disappearing.
Sources told Ethnos he was previously arrested in the United Arab Emirates.
Footage from the raid shows armed police officers arriving at the mansion ahead of the arrests, while separate drone footage shows a delivery being transferred from one white van to another at the property.
The arrests stem from a six-month international law enforcement operation involving Italian customs officials and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
The arrests stem from a six-month international law enforcement operation involving Italian customs officials and the US Drug Enforcement Administration
The suspects face charges of human trafficking in the form of import, transportation and possession, and membership of a criminal organization
Police say the 660 pounds of cocaine are linked to the 1,440 pounds of loot Italian police found in Calabria in April
The suspects face charges of human trafficking in the form of import, transportation and possession, and membership of a criminal organization.
Police say the 660 pounds of cocaine are linked to the 1,440 pounds of loot Italian police found in Calabria in April.
Authorities believe the latest arrest was another arm of the same international human trafficking ring.
In both cases, the narcotics came from South America in shipments of bananas for distribution in Europe.