Kozani police take ax to big cannabis operation

Officers from the Kozani police narcotics unit have located and seized more than 1,000 cannabis trees from two farms in Karditsa, central Greece, and arrested four suspects – a 53-year-old Greek and three foreign nationals aged between 43 and 46 – believed to have been running the illegal cultivation, police said on Thursday.

Apart from 1,200 cannabis trees, officers also seized 2.9 kilograms of unprocessed cannabis, five vehicles, a pistol, two hunting rifles, hundreds of bullets, three knives, explosives, 16 mobile phones with 14 SIM cards and 255 euros in cash.

Criminal charges have been filed against three more suspects believed to be members of the same gang.

Another 35 suspects face drugs-related charges.

The suspects were to appear before a prosecutor in Kozani.