A Turkish ferry owner operating the Mytilene-Ayvalık route across the eastern Aegean has been remanded in custody pending trial after being arrested on the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos under an outstanding 2022 warrant linked to an alleged international drug trafficking network.
The order was issued on Monday by the prosecutor at the north Aegean court of appeals, following the suspect’s arrest on Saturday during a routine inspection at the port of Mytilene.
People travel to the Greek islands from the port of Piraeus, June 19, 2021. 19 June, 2021
Greek prosecutors have brought serious felony charges against the businessman, who is accused of involvement in trafficking more than two metric tons of cocaine. Authorities allege the narcotics operation involved an international criminal organization with Greek, Turkish and Albanian nationals.
According to the investigation, officers from the Mytilene Port Authority, identified the suspect while conducting routine crew identity checks aboard a passenger ferry that had recently resumed services on the Mytilene-Ayvalık route after an extended suspension. A database check revealed an outstanding arrest warrant, leading to his immediate detention.
The defendant is expected to be transferred to Korydallos Prison, southwest of central Athens, where he will remain until trial.
The ferry connection between the port of Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos, and Ayvalık, a Turkish coastal town opposite the island, is one of the busiest cross-border sea links in the eastern Aegean, carrying thousands of tourists and local travelers each year during the summer season.
