Illegal goods seizures in Heraklion

Police operations in Heraklion, Crete, have targeted the illegal trafficking of unregulated goods. Initial reports detailed the seizure of approximately 1,003 liters of unregulated alcohol and 129 canisters of nitrous oxide, alongside the arrest of two individuals for selling counterfeit luxury items including jewelry and clothing.

Subsequent investigations by the Hellenic Police's Organized Crime Directorate and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue revealed a larger operation. Authorities dismantled a trafficking ring involving a 62-year-old business owner, seizing 3,856 liters of various spirits such as vodka and gin that lacked tax documentation. This operation also resulted in the confiscation of 664 nitrous oxide cylinders and 4,000 pre-filled balloons.

During the raid on the warehouse, officials also recovered 150 empty plastic bottles containing alcohol residue and labels linked to a specific distillery. The warehouse owner has been arrested and brought before a prosecutor, with two other individuals included in the case file.

Seized alcohol samples have been sent to the General State Laboratory for safety testing. Investigators are now expanding their inquiry to a warehouse in mainland Greece to determine if similar illegal practices are occurring at a distillery linked to the seized products.