Greek Court Reduces Sentences in Major Cocaine Trafficking Case

A Greek appeals court has reduced the prison sentences of 11 men convicted in one of the largest cocaine trafficking operations in the country’s history.

The men were involved in smuggling 1.2 metric tonnes of cocaine from the Caribbean to Europe and Africa. Initially sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021, the court lowered the highest sentence to 16 years during the hearing on Friday.

The drug trafficking ring was dismantled in 2020 after a months-long investigation by Greek authorities, in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and police forces from Albania and Spain. The cocaine was loaded onto a yacht named "Barracuda Seven" near Saint Vincent in the Caribbean and transported to Greece.

Greek anti-narcotics agents infiltrated the criminal gang, gaining control of the smuggling operation and misleading the traffickers into believing the plan was continuing as intended. The drugs were transferred to Greece by air, leading to a major bust in January 2020 when police seized numerous bags of cocaine from an apartment in Astakos.

Several gang leaders, including a man known by the aliases "Doctor" or "Aqua Verde," remain at large, believed to be living in Spain. Despite the reduced sentences, defense lawyer Dimitris Georgakopoulos announced plans to appeal to the top court, raising concerns over the legality of the police infiltration.

Cocaine production in South America has surged in recent years, with Europe now serving as the world's largest market for the drug.

(Source: Reuters)