The Thessaloniki Criminal Appeals Court imposed life imprisonment sentences on each of the three defendants who were arrested last June as members of a cocaine trafficking gang, while more than 21 kilograms of drugs were seized during the police investigation.
The three Albanian citizens, aged 42, 40 and 45, two of whom are brothers, were found in a car rental company in Thessaloniki, owned by the 40-year-old.
During the police investigation, a pistol with a magazine and twelve cartridges, as well as sums of money in various currencies, were seized, Greek media reported. The sentence is considered extremely severe for such a criminal offense.
In their apologies, the two brothers denied any connection to drugs, stating that they were businessmen – one a hotelier in his hometown and the other the owner of the aforementioned car rental company, while the third admitted to owning and storing them.
The court found them guilty of a separate case of drug trafficking, without any mitigating circumstances. After the judges' decision, they were returned to prison.