Alexandros Angelopoulos, a man once known for working low-paid jobs far from any hint of luxury, is now at the center of one of the largest drug trafficking cases Greece has seen in years.
Nicknamed the “Greek Escobar” by law enforcement, the 60-year-old is accused of leading a massive international cocaine smuggling operation, involving more than five tonnes of the drug shipped from Latin America to Greece. He is expected to give his formal testimony to investigators on Thursday.
From modest beginnings to the criminal underworld
Born in northern Greece and the son of a police officer, Angelopoulos spent his early years working as a nightclub bouncer and later as a kitchen worker on ships involved in cigarette smuggling routes between Albania and Italy. These early encounters with illegal trade are believed to have drawn him deeper into international criminal networks.
According to investigators, his activities expanded over time to include arms trafficking linked to Central America, where he allegedly came into contact with individuals connected to Colombian cocaine cartels. From that point, his rise within the global drug trade was rapid.
A life of wealth and influence
As profits grew, Angelopoulos reportedly lived a life of extreme luxury, believing himself untouchable. Authorities claim he laundered illegal earnings through gambling activities and invested heavily in his hometown, distributing money locally and even purchasing a football club with ambitions of elevating it to higher leagues.
His first major downfall came in 2004, when he was arrested and imprisoned in a case described at the time as one of the biggest of its kind. After serving several years behind bars, he was released in 2024, a development many believed marked the end of his criminal career.
Back in custody over record cocaine seizure
Just a year later, Angelopoulos is once again under arrest. Escorted by heavily armed police and wearing a bulletproof vest, he was brought before prosecutors in the port city of Piraeus.
He faces charges including forming and leading a criminal organization, large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering. Prosecutors allege the operation handled cocaine worth hundreds of millions of euros.
The case has international dimensions. A 27-metre fishing vessel owned by Angelopoulos was escorted by a French naval frigate to the Caribbean island of Martinique, where authorities began counting the seized drugs. The ship’s 80-year-old captain, believed to be a close associate, along with four crew members, has been arrested.
