Greek authorities have arrested a man known as the “Greek Escobar” following the seizure of around seven tonnes of cocaine aboard a fishing vessel, in what officials described as one of the largest drug busts in the country’s history.
The suspect, identified by Greek media as Alekos Angelopoulos and nicknamed “Alekos the Fat,” is alleged to be the mastermind behind a vast cocaine trafficking network operating between Latin America and Europe. Greek investigators say he owned the vessel that was intercepted and had been under the scrutiny of international law enforcement agencies for years.
According to police, the cocaine shipment originated in Latin America and was transported via West Africa before being bound for Europe. Five people have been arrested so far, with further arrests expected, authorities said. Crew members of the seized vessel remain in custody and are due to appear before an investigating judge.
Greek media report that Angelopoulos began his criminal career as a sailor involved in cigarette smuggling between Albania and Italy before moving into large-scale cocaine trafficking. U.S. and European law enforcement agencies had previously linked him to major drug shipments and to money-laundering schemes involving gambling outlets and lottery winnings.
In a separate case in the early 2000s, Greek prosecutors said he was connected to multi-tonne cocaine shipments intercepted in international waters. He was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, a term that was reduced on appeal, before legal proceedings reinstated the original sentence.
The latest seizure underscores Greece’s role as a transit point for cocaine destined for European markets, as trafficking routes increasingly shift through Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, security officials say.