Crime squad officers nab high-society drug dealer
An investigation launched last month by Finance Ministry?s financial crimes squad (SDOE) officers following the arrest of a 34-year-old Greek-Canadian man in the coastal suburb of Glyfada on drug-dealing charges indicates that the suspect made huge profits by supplying well-heeled Athenians with cocaine, ecstasy tablets and cannabis.
SDOE officers said the 34-year-old had 640,000 euros? worth of shares, most listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and five properties – at least two of which are believed to have been purchased with the proceeds of illicit activities. Officers seized 230,000 euros in cash from one of the suspect?s properties in the affluent suburb of Voula, along with account books with details of deposits in Canadian and US banks of 150,000 US dollars and an M16 rifle.
According to SDOE, ?the quantity of the confiscated cash and deposits… raises suspicions of systematic and widespread laundering of income from criminal activities.? Police said some of the drugs had been smuggled into the country from Spain inside spare parts manufactured by Porsche.
