Three Albanian men were found shot dead in an apartment in Kolonos, western Athens, yesterday in what police said may have been the result of a drug-related dispute.

The bodies of the three men, aged 25 to 30, were found in a ground-floor apartment which showed no signs of forced entry.

Police said the men had been shot by a 7.65-caliber gun, adding that they had found cartridge cases next to the bodies.

Small quantities of heroin were also found in the apartment, prompting authorities to consider the possibility that the deaths may be related to narcotics.

Two of the dead men were in fact known to police in connection with drug-related activities and theft from a supermarket.