Police arrested a 50-year-old British man in Athens yesterday who is suspected of masterminding an international smuggling operation involving hundreds of tons of cigarettes.

Police sources said the man, first located by local authorities six months ago, was in charge of a racket that smuggled cigarettes from China, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates to Great Britain, Belgium and Germany.

Police seized documents from the man’s house along with a small quantity of hashish.

A tip from British authorities led to the arrest.

It is the second time this week that coordinated efforts between Greek and British authorities have resulted in the arrest of a UK national residing in Greece.