Police bust long-running smuggling ring using tourist buses

Greek constabulary has arrested 10 radical successful Thessaloniki aft dismantling a transgression ringing that smuggled alcoholic beverages and amerciable pesticides into Greece since 2012.

Police authorities successful the country’s northbound revealed that the group’s activities led to yearly state losses successful excess of 150,000 euros, resulting from unpaid taxes, duties and different charges.

The probe began aft authorities received accusation astir the amerciable import of works extortion products promoted by email to cultivation supply stores crossed the country.

The transgression enactment used specially constructed hidden compartments successful foreign-registered tourist buses to transport smuggled goods, avoiding customs and borderline controls. Once wrong Greece, the products were collected by members successful Thessaloniki and Athens, stored astatine predetermined locations controlled exclusively by the group, and sold astatine an mean terms of 10 euros per bottle.

To evade detection, members used coded connection successful their communications, referring to alcoholic beverages with terms such arsenic “water,” “goat,” “canned,” and color-coded words related to vessel colors.

Police identified the roles of members, including a 60-year-old alleged person who coordinated activities contempt erstwhile ineligible restrictions, respective drivers liable for transporting and unloading goods, a 38-year-old overseas institution proprietor who provided buses, and different associates who assisted successful storage, income and logistics. A overseas travel bureau worker besides aided successful delivering products to drivers for transport into Greece.

Searches of buses, vehicles, homes, travel agencies, and a autobus parking batch resulted successful the seizure of 529 bottles of alcohol, 165 liters and 7 kilograms of counterfeit works extortion products, 30 packs of cigarettes, 212,000 euros successful cash, on with 1,100 US dollars and conscionable implicit 400 euros worth of Ukrainian hryvnias, firearms and ammunition, knives, drones, fireworks, physics devices and handwritten notes.

The Chemical Service of Central Macedonia and the Regional Center for Plant Protection, Quality and Phytosanitary Control of Thessaloniki were asked to analyse the seized goods.

The suspects person been led to the Thessaloniki Criminal Courts authoritative for further investigation.