Greek coast guard and police joined forces late on 26 November 2017 after intercepting a speedboat carrying 1.6 tons of cannabis coming from Albania.[1][2] The operation started north of Corfu, with officers chasing a high-powered speedboat heading in from Albania, and ended in the Aegean Sea.[1][2]
Two Albanians and one Italian on the speedboat were arrested after a chase of almost 48 hours, during which the traffickers shot at police and some cannabis and Kalashnikov guns were thrown overboard.[2] Two law-enforcement officers were injured after diving from their vessel under gunfire.[1] Four guns were confiscated from the speedboat.[2]
In addition to the three arrested on the boat, seven more people were detained in Athens and along land routes, among them Italians, Greeks and possibly a Bulgarian, bringing the reported total to 10 or 11.[1][2] One of those held was a 63-year-old Greek businessman who owns a restaurant in Mykonos and allegedly supplied three speedboats to the network.[1] Broadcaster ERT confirmed six suspects, four Albanian and two Italian nationals, as members of a ring under surveillance for weeks.[1]
