Greek police have dealt a significant blow to an international drug trafficking network with the arrest of three foreign women at Athens International Airport as they attempted to smuggle 72 kilograms of cannabis out of the country on Saturday, Jan. 10.

The arrests were carried out around midday by officers of the Narcotics Division of the Organized Crime Directorate, as part of targeted inspections aimed at preventing the export of illegal drugs through Greek airports.

According to the Greek Police (EL.AS.), the suspects are women aged 29, 33 and 37, believed to be members of an international criminal organization involved in the transport and export of hydroponically grown cannabis—commonly known as skunk—to Italy by air.

Their identification followed the evaluation of intelligence, cross-checking of data, analytical processing and operational profiling, as the women were preparing to board a flight bound for a region of Italy.

During baggage inspections, officers discovered a total of 72.7 kilograms of raw hydroponic cannabis, carefully concealed in nylon-wrapped packages inside the suspects’ suitcases.

In addition, three mobile phones were seized and are being examined as potential evidence to determine the full scope of the criminal operation and the network’s connections.

The three women have been brought before the competent public prosecutor, while investigations remain ongoing to identify further individuals involved in the case.