Greek authorities have made a major breakthrough in the fight against fuel smuggling, arresting a senior member of an international gang that has been smuggling Latin American fuel products for illegal sale around the world. The gang is estimated to have made a profit of more than $21 billion from their illegal activities.
According to police sources, the arrested individual is an Italian national for whom Interpol had issued an arrest warrant. He was located in a southern Athens suburb on Friday. The request has been made for his extradition to Venezuela, where he will face charges for crimes such as the illegal transportation and trade of strategically important resources.
The gang reportedly stole fuel products from Latin American ports, loading them onto their tankers before turning off tracking transponders to deceive shipping agents. This sophisticated operation has now been disrupted by the efforts of Greek authorities.
For more information on this developing story, please visit Reuters for the full report.