Greeks Arrest Cartel Importing Containers of Cattle Hides Soaked in Cocaine

 

The Greek Police announced the arrest of 11 individuals involved in an elaborate smuggling operation shipping containers from South America filled with raw cattle hides. The police said it was the first time they had dismantled a criminal organization using the elaborate method of smuggling cocaine, which is becoming more common in other parts of the world.

It was a multi-month, systematic, and operationally complex investigation that was tracking the containers being shipped to Greece. Once arriving at the port, they were being trucked to a front business, a wholesale company for leather and travel goods. The hides were being unloaded and stacked at an elaborate processing facility that the cartel had established in Sparta, Greece.

The raids came early on July 3, arresting a total of 11 individuals, including Greek individuals who were coordinating the operation, responsible for overseeing the operation, and two who were acting as drivers. They also arrested four foreign nationals who were operating the laboratory. A Greek who provides space for the operations was also arrested while they are looking for another individual who created the wholesale trade company. A foreigner living in Spain is being sought as the manager and director of the operation.

According to the police, the hides were being salted and dried in South America, impregnated with pure cocaine. At the laboratory in Sparta, the teams were soaking the hides to remove the salts and extract the cocaine, which was then further processed for sale.

During the raid, they recovered 100 kilos of cocaine mixed with 550 kilos of salt extracted from 200 skins. Another 1,500 raw hides were awaiting processing, with the police estimating they would yield an additional 700 kilos of cocaine. They also seized 245 kilos of chemicals, guns, three vehicles, two trucks, the laboratory equipment, and €82,180 ($96,222) in cash.

The police said it appeared to be a large ongoing operation that was expected to yield illegal profits of tens of millions of euros. 

In May, the Greek police reported finding a smaller operation that was importing clothing from Ecuador that was soaked in cocaine. Similar busts have been reported in Australia where last week the police reported seizing ceramic tiles coated with crystal meth. The Greek police said it demonstrated the scope and degree of sophistication of the smugglers and the new methods being used to evade detection.