Police officers from the Security Forces Internal Affairs Service put an end to the activities of a criminal organization that imported and trafficked drugs in a detention center.
In particular, in the context of a preliminary examination, it was established that its members, including a prison officer, at least from May 2024, formed and joined it.
To dismantle the gang, an operation was carried out in the early hours of Saturday, in an island area, where the prison officer and a private individual were detained.
Two inmates at the detention center are charged in the same case.
As the investigation revealed, a key role in the organisation was played by the prison officer, who was in charge of receiving, transporting and importing the drugs into the prison, and who received instructions from the two inmates. His salary was 500 or 1,000 euros, depending on the quantity of drugs he imported.
To achieve his goal, he took advantage of his status and hid the quantities mainly in the kitchen area, from where his accomplices received them.
At the same time, members of the criminal organization made sure to cover their actions, taking special counter-surveillance measures during the transfer of sums of money and also in their communications, during which they used coded words.
For reference purposes, they called drugs “things”, “smoke”, “black”, “brown”, while they considered the quantity of drugs “small”, “large” and money as “papers”.
During the police operation, the prison officer was located after rescuing a person who had just disembarked from a ship. The two men were stopped and searched.
From their possession and searches of the vehicle and their residences, the following were found – among other things – and confiscated:
- 29.23 grams of cannabis
- 8.17 grams of methamphetamine
- 22.65 grams of narcotic plant extracts
- 3 cell phones
- handwritten notes
- 30 euros
- 3 packs of cell phone cards
- 0.09 grams of heroin
- 3 pistols and
- 12 unfired cartridges.
At the same time, in collaboration with the Penitentiary Directorate, an extraordinary check was carried out on the detainees involved in the case, during which – among other things – the following were found and confiscated:
- 10 improvised skewers of various sizes
- 2 improvised knives
- improvised saw, improvised razor and hacksaw blade
- 3 USB flash drives
- 3 nylon packages and a roll of cigarette containing cannabis with a gross weight of 1.36 grams
- improvised packaging of medicine with a gross weight of 1.09 grams
- cell phone and
- handwritten notes
So far, it has been found that the criminal organization imported narcotics into the detention center at least 6 times, while the prison officer received cash sums of 500 euros at least 3 times.
At the same time, it was established that the prison officer, in at least one case, obtained and introduced a telephone connection into the detention center. He also informed a prisoner’s companion about upcoming checks, as well as about his transfer problems.
The proceedings brought against them concern – as the case may be – crimes of formation and membership of a criminal organization, separate cases of continuous drug trafficking, professional and continuous bribery of an official, joint and continuous bribery of an official, continuous breach of professional secrecy, continuous dereliction of duty, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, moral turpitude in providing a mobile phone to a prisoner in a detention center, illegal possession of weapons in a prison and providing a mobile phone to a prisoner in a penitentiary.
The prisoners were taken to the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office and referred to an investigator.