Cocaine seized from ship linked to Piraeus
Greek authorities have intensified investigations following the seizure of 4.5 tons of cocaine on a ship, the Blume, managed by a Greek company, off the Canary Islands.
Spanish authorities discovered the drugs in January, 2023 during a security operation on the vessel, which had departed from Brazil. Initially carrying a legal cargo of coffee, it was stopped 193 nautical miles from Santa Cruz. The cocaine, valued at over 200 million euros, was hidden in a fire equipment storage area.
The crew members, 13 Egyptians and Pakistanis and two Albanians, were arrested. Investigations later revealed that the ship’s management company was based in Piraeus, with a 24-year-old Greek businessman as the sole partner.
Though initial investigations focused on the crew, recent findings have shifted the attention to the ship’s owners.
Notably, the drug trafficking network might involve a close relative of the Greek.
He had previously been arrested for drug trafficking in 2013, while unconfirmed reports have linked him to smuggling activities in Albania.
Kathimerini
