Saudi authorities help Greece in massive drugs bust

Shafaq News/ Greek authorities say they have seized more than four tons of cannabis hidden in a shipment of industrial cupcake-making machines heading from Lebanon to Slovakia.

Greece’s financial crimes squad said in a statement late Thursday that the drugs were found in a shipping container in the country’s main port of Piraeus, following information received from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

The container, whose registered contents were three industrial cupcake-making machines, arrived by sea in Piraeus on April 14 and had been scheduled to be transported by rail on April 20 to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, through North Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary.

Following the information from the DEA, Greek authorities raided the container on April 16. A total of more than 4.3 tons of processed cannabis were found in a hidden compartment built into a metal tank that was among the machinery, the financial crimes squad said. The street value of the drugs is estimated at around $4 million.

Greek authorities said they received assistance in the case from the drug enforcement agency of Saudi Arabia. An investigation into the shipment is continuing.

For its Part, Saudi Arabia said on Friday it was banning fruits and vegetables originating from Lebanon from entering or transiting through the kingdom due to an incrase in drug smuggling, Saudi state media said.

Saudi Arabia said there have been no practical measures taken to stop the smuggling by Lebanese authorities, state news agency SPA said.

The ban will start at 0900 local time on Sunday until Lebanese authorities provide "sufficient and reliable" guarantees they will take the necessary measures to stop systematic drug smuggling operations in the kingdom.

There was no immediate comment by Lebanon's government.

Source: AP + Reuters