Police arrested three Turkish nationals this week identified as members of a criminal organization, as part of an operation targeting organized crime groups, in the greater Athens area.

The arrests were carried out Wednesday afternoon during a targeted operation in the area. Authorities also conducted a search of the suspects’ residence.

During the search, officers found and seized, among other items, 3.54 grams of unprocessed cannabis.

A subsequent check of the suspects’ documents revealed that two of the three did not possess the required papers for legal residence in Greece. As a result, additional charges were filed against them for violations of immigration law.

Recent reports and analyses point to a growing and increasingly visible presence of Turkish criminal networks in Greece, particularly in major urban centers such as Athens and Thessaloniki.

According to multiple reports, Greek authorities have become increasingly concerned about the expansion of Turkey-based crime groups into the country, with activities ranging from drug trafficking and weapons smuggling to contract killings and organized violence. Over the past few years, a series of gangland-style shootings and assassinations linked to these networks has been recorded, often described as spillovers of rivalries originating in Turkey.