Eleven Greeks tied to huge haul of cocaine in France

French authorities on Wednesday provided the Attica Police’s narcotics division, the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Financial Crimes Squad with the names of 11 Greek nationals arrested on Tuesday in southern France in connection with a massive haul of cocaine.

According to sources, the suspects are all young men, none of whom has been previously convicted in Greece.

However, one of the 11 is believed to have a possible connection to the illegal smuggling of undocumented migrants and drugs by air from Greece to Italy. One of the suspects has an Arab name and was born in Baghdad, sources said.

French authorities seized 1.5 tons of cocaine on Tuesday off the coast of Mimizan in southwestern France following what they originally thought to be a rescue operation.

Authorities spotted the suspects in inflatable dinghies and then found the packages of cocaine on the shore.