
A criminal group composed of 11 Albanians and 4 Greeks, active in cocaine trafficking mainly in Athens, was hit by Greek authorities.
Following a coordinated operation in several houses and storage areas, which the criminal group used as "shelters" in areas of Athens, by police officers of the Athens Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Sub-Directorate, with the assistance of police officers from OPKE and the EKAM special forces, 9 people, aged between 24 and 43, were arrested and 4 others were declared wanted.
The arrested Albanians are Ervin Ademi alias Leo, 39 years old, Elton Plepi alias Toni, 42 years old, Ervis Tringa alias Niko, 38 years old, Albert Pali alias Berti, 42 years old, Bruno Anastasaj alias Thodhori, Kondelina Dhimertika, 43 years old, Xhulio Kercani, 29 years old, Malena Alushaj, 24 years old, while Helis Cato, 38 years old, Taulant Prifti, 47 years old and Erald Gjata, 46 years old, have been declared wanted.
The suspects are accused of forming a criminal organization, violating weapons laws, possession of addictive substances, money laundering, violating alien laws, and forging documents.
As emerged from the preliminary investigation of the Athens Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Sub-Directorate, the criminal organization, having a structured hierarchical structure and continuous operation with a leader and 3 deputy leaders, had been active since at least December 2025 and had developed increased counter-surveillance measures, as members used encrypted communication applications, coded terminology and some of them frequently changed telephone connections.
More specifically, 39-year-old leader Ervin Ademi exercised complete control over the criminal group's activities, giving orders and drafting its operational strategy, while supervising the organization's 3 deputy leaders.
At the same time, they instructed other members on the trafficking method, handed them over quantities of cocaine for sale, while each member continued to sell the drug to clients.
From the investigations carried out in the "operational-shelter areas" of the criminal group, 827 grams of cocaine, a small amount of marijuana, 3 pistols, a magazine from a combat firearm, 119 cartridges, several mobile phones, 5 vehicles used for drug trafficking, the amounts of 14,505 euros and 470 US dollars, 3 radio receivers, 7 precision electronic scales, a baton, pepper spray and 3 knives were found and seized, among other things. The illegal financial benefit from the criminal activity of the group amounts to more than 900,000 euros.