Greece arrests five over cocaine trafficking on ship from Venezuela to Europe

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ATHENS, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Greek police have arrested five suspected members of an international crime ring trafficking an estimated seven tonnes of cocaine from Venezuela to Europe on a Greek-operated fishing vessel, two police officials said on Monday.

The arrests, in various parts of Greece, follow an investigation launched in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, one of the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Those held included the suspected ringleader.

The ship had set sail from a small port in Greece’s northern city of Thessaloniki for Latin America. Investigators believe that it later loaded up to seven tonnes of cocaine off Venezuela. Police did not disclose its final destination.

Another five people on board the vessel were arrested by French authorities, the official added. The ship, escorted by the French Navy over the past two days through the Atlantic, will be taken to a French port.

Greece has launched a probe into the owner of the vessel, who has a criminal record related to drug offences.

The Mediterranean country has stepped up the fight against drug trafficking in recent years as Europe has become a top market for cocaine.

(Reporting by Yannis Souliotis; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Alex Richardson)