Police were yesterday trying to establish the final destination of a cache of weapons smuggled into Greece from Albania, after arresting three men – one Greek and two Albanians – in Thessaloniki who were found in possession of the illegal arsenal.

Officers apprehended the men in the Ano Poli area of the city on Monday after stopping the car in which they were traveling. They are also looking for a fourth suspect. Police found three Kalashnikov rifles, 18 electronic detonators, five hand grenades, 317 bullets and a 9 mm handgun in the car. Police would not rule out the possibility of the arms being destined for domestic terrorists but said it was more likely that they would have ended up in the hands of criminals. Officers believe the arms were smuggled across the Albanian border and hidden near Kastoria, northern Greece, where the suspects picked them up.