Suspected Australian drug trafficker appeals extradition from Greece to US
A 41-year-old Australian citizen who was arrested in Mykonos in July 2021 as a suspected member of an international drug ring has appealed a decision to extradite him to the United States to the Council of State, Greece’s highest administrative court.
US authorities believe that from May 2019 to May 2021, he participated in a conspiracy to launder drug money in Florida and to smuggle large quantities of cocaine from Colombia, through California, to Australia.
Since his arrest, the man, who featured on Interpol’s most-wanted list, has been detained in Korydallos prisons in Athens.
He claims to be active in the field of construction, online trading and the sale of cryptocurrencies.
While the Greek courts and justice minister approved the extradition request from the US, the man has appealed to the Council of State to block his extradition.
He previously appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.
He claims that in their investigation, US police exceeded their powers and entrapped him, which violates his right to a fair trial.
In his appeal, the man also cites serious health issues relating to a pacemaker he was fitted with while in jail in Greece, and concerns over jail conditions in the United States in terms of medical services.
