In Brief
COKE HAUL
Two men caught with more than 6 kilos of cocaine Police said yesterday that they have arrested two 28-year-olds in Athens after finding them in possession of 6.6 kilos of cocaine. Officers said that they also found a gun, 35 bullets and 11,000 euros in cash in the possession of the two suspects, a Greek and an Albanian. Police also revealed that they found 3.2 kilos of heroin hidden in a flowerpot on the roof of an apartment block in the Athens district of Galatsi. Officers said that an Albanian, who was arrested and jailed in February for drug dealing, had lived in the building. FOREST FIRES Mt Parnonas blaze a challenge There were more than 20 wildfires yesterday, which was somewhat fewer than in previous days but the absence of strong winds helped firefighters contain most blazes, including one in the area of Kechries in Corinthia, west of Athens, and on the island of Thassos. Last night, firefighters were trying to get a fire on Mount Parnonas in the Peloponnese under control. The wildfire broke out in a ravine on the forested mountain and six water-dropping planes and a helicopter had to be called in to help extinguish it. Hit-and-run A 35-year-old man was arrested in Thessaloniki yesterday on suspicion of being involved in a hit-and-run accident that resulted in a 27-year-old man losing his arm. The suspect is alleged to have struck the victim, an Albanian national, as he was driving along a country road between Edessa and Veria in northern Greece. The 35-year-old told police that he had been speeding because he just had an argument with his wife. The unnamed man allegedly fled the scene after the accident, leaving the victim’s left arm severed. Police said they found the man’s arm under a parked car quite a distance from where the accident happened. Dirty money chief Supreme Court deputy prosecutor Stylianos Grozos was named yesterday as the new head of the committee that combats money laundering. Grozos replaces Giorgos Zorbas, who was ushered out by the government after Economy and Finance Minister Giorgos Alogoskoufis revealed that he would be creating a new body to fight financial crimes. Alogoskoufis wants the new committee to report to him personally. Zorbas accused the minister of not supporting him in his role. Busy roads Traffic police will go on high alert from today until August 24 to cope with the extra number of vacationers expected to take to the country’s roads over the coming days. It was announced yesterday that lorries will be restricted from traveling on national highways on August 14, 17, 22 and 24. August is the month that Greeks usually take their vacation. Arsonist A 27-year-old man was arrested yesterday in Pangrati, eastern Athens, on suspicion of setting fire to trash dumpsters in the area. Police said that officers caught the man red-handed while he was trying to set fire to a dumpster and he admitted to earlier starting a fire in another. The 27-year-old had been arrested for the same offence in the past, officers said.
