Greece arrests seven for trafficking drugs from Albania to Italy

Men, who the Hellenic Coast Guard suspects of trafficking drugs from Albania to Italy, are seen on a speedboat in the Adriatic Sea (PHOTO: REUTERS)

ATHENS: Greece's coastguard said on Saturday that it had uncovered an international ring that transported large quantities of drugs from Albania to Italy using high-speed boats.

The coastguard's drug-fighting unit said it had arrested five Albanians and two Greeks and seized 1.5 tonnes of unprocessed cannabis and two speedboats, estimating that the ring had made "many millions of euros".

The months-long investigation, in cooperation with Italy's Guardia di Finanza, found that the ring purchased large volumes of drugs in Albania and transported then on customized high-speed vessels to the shores of Italy, the Greek coastguard said.