Greek authorities have broken up a drug trafficking ring that used encrypted messaging apps to sell cannabis and cocaine to buyers including minors in the northern city of Thessaloniki. Three suspects were arrested.
Officers from the financial crimes unit of Greece's tax authority, AADE, seized 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of cannabis and 120 grams (4.2 ounces) of cocaine.
The ring used apps popular with young people, including Telegram, to take orders and arrange payment in cryptocurrency, authorities said. It assigned territories to its members, offered fast delivery and used methods to avoid surveillance.
An 18-year-old was arrested first, carrying the cannabis.
Undercover officers then posed as buyers and arrested two more Greek members of the ring, aged 25 and 30, seizing the cocaine.
Searches of the suspects' homes turned up precision scales and a cryptocurrency payment device.
All three were brought before a prosecutor.
The investigation continues as authorities try to identify and dismantle other cells of the network.
Greek authorities have stepped up efforts against drug sales on encrypted apps, which have become a growing channel for reaching young buyers across Europe.