ATHENS (Reuters) – A Greek police officer has been arrested on suspicion of aiding a transnational cocaine-trafficking ring by leaking confidential investigative information to its members and helping them cover up illegal activities.
Two more people are in custody as part of a months-long investigation launched on the basis of information provided by France and the European police agency Europol, Greek police said late Thursday.
Analysis of encrypted communications through the Sky ECC messaging service by authorities in France, Belgium and the Netherlands in recent years helped lead to the arrests in Greece, a police official said.
Europol believes that Sky ECC and another online platform, EncroChat – both of which have ceased operations – were heavily used by gangsters. In June 2023, it reported that the takedown of Encrochat had led to more than 6,500 arrests.
The charges against the three arrested in Greece range from setting up a criminal group and drug trafficking to bribery.
Greek police said the main suspect, a 42-year-old former member of the police drug squad, received monthly payments from gangsters who smuggled cocaine and cannabis into Greece, and witnesses said he lived a lavish lifestyle.
Their statement said two other Greek officers are being investigated on suspicion of aiding a criminal group.
(Reporting by Yannis Souliotis; Editing by Renee Maltezou and Mark Heinrich)