A criminal organization that trafficked cocaine and cannabis across the country allegedly used an Old Calendar Orthodox church in the Tria Gefyria area of Athens as their storage hideout. The organization was dismantled following a months-long investigation by the Drug Enforcement Unit, which led to eight arrests in total. Key members of the ring are allegedly two active priests, as well as a third who is already imprisoned in Komotini prison for human trafficking. Notably, one of the arrested clergymen, aged 46 and known as a YouTuber (former model), was arrested red-handed in Rhodes.
According to the investigation, he transported two packages of cocaine to the island, with a total weight of 2,188 grams.
As police report, the two priests served as “transporters” and, exploiting their religious status, allegedly used the church in Tria Gefyria for temporary drug storage. They reportedly took orders from a 52-year-old woman alleged to be the ringleader.
The network also had a second operational branch that cultivated a cannabis plantation in Reggini, Fthiotida, while a 33-year-old private employee was also arrested in Galatsi in connection with the case.
See the church
The revealing conversations
According to court documents, the 46-year-old stored and hid drugs in the Holy Church operating on Liosion Street. In fact, there were instances where he would leave the church wearing his cassock and sell drugs to network clients. His conversation with the 52-year-old ringleader is revealing.
- Did you find him?
- Wait! I just came out.
- Good, go to the alley while we’re talking, he’ll tell you he’s from Johnny.
- Yes
- A BMW, I don’t remember the color now.
- Okay
- Keep it open so you can tell me okay.
- Wait yes
- I’m leaving the phone open, leave it, you go do your job.
When the clergyman approaches the client’s car, he hands over the drugs and informs the ringleader that the transaction was completed successfully.
- Do you see?
- Yes a gray one
- Bravo. From Johnny, give it and leave.
The 46-year-old, when brought to the General Police Directorate of Attica, confessed that he stored cocaine and hashish inside the place of worship and then trafficked them to users.
He claimed that he also used drugs given to him by the network’s ringleader, while mentioning that he earned considerable money from trafficking.
The ringleader told officers of the Drug Enforcement Department that she approached and convinced him to participate in cocaine and hashish trafficking. For at least six months, officers from the Greek FBI monitored the 9 network members and recorded their conversations.
According to the ringleader’s price list, they sold one kilogram of cocaine for 35,000 euros and one kilogram of raw cannabis for 2,500 euros.
In Rhodes, another Old Calendar clergyman aged 40, a network member, was arrested while receiving a suitcase with 2 kilos and 188 grams of cocaine.
Network members used coded words in drug trafficking: they called cocaine “little candle,” hashish “little coffee,” and raw cannabis “fanuropita” (a traditional cake).
The organization’s two branches In the operation conducted Friday in Attica and Rhodes, 8 people were arrested in total, six of whom were network members, while the formed case file includes another member of the criminal organization imprisoned in a detention facility.
According to Greek Police, the gang had two branches with members having created suitable infrastructure for various stages of drug production and storage, while they had also selected a suitable installation point for a cannabis sapling plantation in an area of Fthiotida.
The modus operandi – The organization’s two branches
It’s worth noting that in the operation conducted Friday (7/11) in Attica and Rhodes, 8 people were arrested in total, six of whom were gang members, while the formed case file includes another member of the criminal organization imprisoned in a detention facility.
According to Greek Police, the gang had two branches with members having created suitable infrastructure for various stages of drug production and storage, while they had also selected a suitable installation point for a cannabis sapling plantation in an area of Fthiotida.
The first branch included
– A 52-year-old Greek woman, as the leading member of the criminal organization’s first branch, was responsible for fully guiding the subgroup’s other members, as well as finding and storing quantities of drugs in a suitable hiding place until their distribution. She was also responsible for recruiting criminal organization members and fully guiding members regarding illegal migrant trafficking and transportation.
– A 42-year-old man was the 52-year-old’s direct associate, similarly responsible for finding and storing drug quantities, as well as distributing drug quantities to other drug traffickers or users. He was also responsible for fully guiding members regarding illegal migrant trafficking and transportation together with the 52-year-old, while serving as a connecting link between the criminal organization’s two operational branches.
– A 40-year-old, 46-year-old and 52-year-old, as direct associates with the 52-year-old woman, were responsible for transporting, storing and distributing quantities of cocaine and raw cannabis, quantities which they sometimes stored inside a Holy Church in Attica, exploiting their status as priests. They also undertook illegal migrant trafficking and transportation within Greek territory under the guidance of the 52-year-old and 42-year-old.
The second branch included
– A 50-year-old man, as the leading member of the criminal organization’s second branch, was responsible for fully guiding the second subgroup’s members, while also responsible for providing financial resources for the organization’s needs, finding suitable installation points for cannabis sapling plantations, as well as supplying all organization members within the cannabis plantation area with necessary supplies through the 42-year-old. He was also responsible for finding and storing drug quantities in suitable hiding places until their distribution.
– The 42-year-old (connecting link), as a direct associate with the 50-year-old, was responsible for supplying and transporting all necessary supplies to the criminal organization’s second branch members within the cannabis sapling plantation area, as well as transporting raw cannabis quantities collected from the plantation in the Fthiotida area.
– A 43-year-old woman, as a direct associate with the 50-year-old, was responsible for storing and guarding quantities of raw cannabis and cocaine.
In the Attica operation, police found nylon packages containing 9 kilos of raw cannabis and 50 grams of cocaine in the apartments where the 43-year-old woman, 42-year-old man and 52-year-old woman were located.
Total items found and confiscated:
cocaine weighing 2,238 grams,
raw cannabis weighing 9,092.6 grams,
14 pharmaceutical packages,
9 mobile phone devices,
4 precision electronic scales,
mobile phone signal jamming device,
4,380 euros and 24,500 Albanian Lek in cash,
4 passenger cars and
numerous nylon packages.
The illegal financial benefit obtained by organization members is estimated at least 105,000 euros.
It should be noted that 7 of the 8 defendants have been involved in the past in similar and other crimes, while two of them have had restrictive conditions imposed.
