European Police bust guns-for-drugs network
Police forces in Greece, Spain, and Bulgaria have dismantled a Turkish-led criminal network accused of trafficking firearms into the European Union in exchange for cannabis, authorities said. The operation, coordinated by Europol, targeted a cross-border system linking weapons smuggling with drug distribution.
According to Kathimerini, investigators said the group supplied low-cost hybrid firearms—made from both original and handmade components—that are difficult to trace and contributed to rising violence among organized crime groups in Europe. The weapons were transported from the Western Balkans and Türkiye into EU countries, particularly Spain.
Authorities arrested 21 suspects, including 18 in Spain and three in Bulgaria, while six others were temporarily detained in Thessaloniki. The main suspect, a Turkish national with a Greek residence permit, was arrested in Sofia and is believed to have coordinated weapons shipments and drug trafficking operations.
Police seized large quantities of drugs, including 587 kilograms of marijuana and 76 kilograms of hashish, with an estimated value of €4.4 million, along with firearms and military-grade equipment. The network reportedly transported cannabis from Spain—especially Catalonia—toward Greece and Türkiye, where it could be sold at higher prices.
The investigation began in 2025 after Spanish authorities detected an increase in weapons linked to Turkish criminal groups, highlighting growing concerns over organized crime activity in the region.
