At the end of the thread to unravel the mess of one of the most serious cases of international drug trafficking, a 39-year-old Albanian was arrested today in Athens, Greece.
He was wanted by Belgian authorities, with a Red Notice through Interpol, for drug trafficking from Ecuador to Europe and then to distant Russia. The Albanian with the initials HO, is accused of being the "head" of the multinational drug trafficking group, and his name has not yet been published.
The case began as “another drug investigation in Belgium,” but developed into a multinational thriller with containers full of drugs from Ecuador, routes through Russia, transfers from the port of Antwerp, “safe house” apartments, and phone conversations that revealed the activities of an international network.
At the heart of this story is the 39-year-old man wanted by Belgian authorities and arrested in Greece under a European arrest warrant.
According to documents from the Belgian prosecutor's office, the group is suspected of trafficking cocaine from Ecuador. The Belgian report describes meetings, movements and phone signals that record the movements of members of the organization in Antwerp, as well as the routes from the port to the warehouses where the containers were "opened".
In a dialogue on June 20 of this year, it is even mentioned that "more than 3,500" pieces arrived - an estimate that authorities believe refers to kilograms of cocaine.
Belgian authorities link the 39-year-old to movements between Belgium, Spain, Greece and Albania, surveillance of apartments and contacts with people suspected of organizing the transport and unloading of containers. Some groups reportedly exceeded 1,200 kilograms of cocaine before reaching their final destinations, including Russia – an element that authorities consider crucial to the international part of the case, informs “Protothema”.
His arrest in Athens prompted immediate action by Belgium, which issued a European Arrest Warrant. According to competent sources, this is one of the most important arrests in drug cases in Europe, precisely because it connects for the first time in a single criminal account so many different countries and routes: Ecuador – Belgium – Spain – Greece – Albania – Russia.
The case does not concern a “local” trafficking operation, but an alleged international mechanism which, according to the Belgian order, used global logistics, ports on multiple continents and Latin American counties to transport cargoes estimated in thousands of kilograms.
The arrest of the Albanian citizen in Athens is considered crucial not only for the Belgian investigation, but also for the European response to organized networks that connect the southern coasts, northern ports and eastern markets in a single, invisible trafficking system.
Official police statement on the case:
"A 39-year-old foreigner was arrested on 19-11-2025, by police officers of the Narcotics Sub-Directorate of the Directorate for Measures Against Organized Crime, against whom a European Arrest Warrant was pending, issued by the Belgian Authorities.
The order concerned the defendant's involvement in a criminal organization based in Belgium, which is suspected of being active in importing large quantities of cocaine from South America to European countries, as well as in cultivating cannabis plantations and operating drug processing and reformulation plants abroad.
In particular, the arrest of the foreigner is related to the seizure of a container in September 2024 in the port of Antwerp, which contained -500- kilograms of cocaine. The arrested person was sent to the competent Public Prosecutor's Office, where his detention was ordered, while the investigation into the matter continues.
Albanian's lawyer speaks: Complex case, to be tried in Belgium
The 39-year-old's case was taken up by lawyer Sakis Kechagioglou, who notes:
"I took on the defense of Albanian citizen HO, 39 years old, who is suspected of being involved in one of the most complex cases of international cocaine trafficking routes in recent years. The case is not limited to a simple Greek arrest, but extends from South America to the entire European continent.
The approximately 1,200 kilogram cocaine shipment followed a route that began in Ecuador, passed through the major European ports of Belgium and Antwerp (where 500 kilograms of the total quantity were seized), touched Greece and Albania, and had connections and information networks that ended as far as Russia. This is a transnational case where each country has a different role, a different investigation, and a different framework for cooperation.
The defense's contribution, from the very beginning, focused on choosing the legal order that would ensure the most favorable criminal treatment for the accused. In this light, I believe that choosing the Belgian legal order – in relation to the Russian one, but also in relation to the particularly strict Greek legislation, which also provides for life imprisonment – is the most correct defense strategy.
I would like to emphasize that this is a conscious choice, in order to ensure every possible advantage for my client. The main investigation of the case is taking place in Belgium – where the maximum penalty for drug law violations is 15 years in prison – and it should be tried where the real facts of the case are. Greek legislation is among the strictest in Europe for such cases. The choice of the appropriate judicial framework is not a technical detail; it is the central tool for shaping my client’s criminal fate.”
