Greek police have uncovered a major international drug trafficking operation involving cocaine hidden in leather shipped from Bolivia.
According to authorities, the leather was soaked in cocaine and treated with salt to mask the scent. It was sent to Greece in cargo containers.
Once in the country, the material was taken to a secret lab located in Pikermi, a suburb of Athens. There, the smugglers used a chemical process to extract the cocaine for further distribution.
Police raided the lab after a long investigation and arrested several suspects. The operation was based on information provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which alerted Greek authorities months ago. Investigators closely watched the group before taking action.
So far, eleven people have been arrested. The suspects include individuals from Bolivia and Spain. At least one of them is believed to have known exactly how the smuggling process worked.
During the raid, officers found 300 packages filled with a mix of salt and cocaine. Authorities believe the total amount of cocaine present was over 800 kilograms.
The suspects are expected to face a prosecutor on Friday.
Police say this case is proof that drug gangs are coming up with new and more advanced methods to move cocaine from South America to Europe.
Just a few weeks earlier, Greek police stopped another drug ring that was hiding liquid cocaine inside clothes shipped from Ecuador.
