Thriller over the 147 guns found in luggage in Evros allegedly meant to arm the Turkish “Daltons” gang – “We are Gulenists,” say those arrested

The representation of 147 guns lined up successful rows, unneurotic with magazines and weapon components, caused a sensation successful aboriginal October 2025 erstwhile it was released by Hellenic Police arsenic portion of an cognition targeting Turkish gangs operating successful Greece.

The cognition by the Hellenic Police successful Evros was presented astatine the clip arsenic a large stroke against an arms-trafficking web with planetary connections, with authorities estimating that the shipment was destined for transgression organizations, including the Turkish pack known arsenic the “Daltons.” However, down this cognition determination appears to beryllium different dimension, reflected successful defence documents and the defendants’ testimonies. The 15 Turkish nationals arrested astatine the aforesaid location, including 2 minors, contradict immoderate transportation to the weapons and accidental they are members of Fethullah Gülen’s movement, claiming they came to Greece to question asylum.

How the constabulary arrested them

According to the lawsuit file, the probe began aft authorities received quality astir organized arms-trafficking rings composed chiefly of Turkish nationals. The accusation indicated that a ample quantity of weapons was to beryllium smuggled into Greece done unofficial crossing points on the Greek-Turkish border, with the extremity of supplying transgression groups.

The country placed nether surveillance was the riverside portion of Evros betwixt the villages of Lagyna and Tychero. On the nighttime of October 1, 2025, a constabulary portion was assembled, and successful the aboriginal hours of the pursuing time officers were deployed successful the area. At astir 10:00 a.m., constabulary spotted a radical of radical entering Greek territory and remaining adjacent the riverbank. Initially, discreet surveillance was chosen, arsenic officers believed a conveyance oregon different idiosyncratic mightiness get to prime them up. When nary specified question was observed by noon, constabulary intervened.

A full of 15 radical were recovered astatine the scene. According to the lawsuit file, 2 ample bags and a question suitcase were located nary much than 1 metre from the group. The luggage contained 147 pistols from assorted manufacturers, 173 magazines, ammunition, and galore limb parts specified arsenic barrels, firing pins, and trigger mechanisms. The items had been cautiously wrapped successful integrative bags to support them from moisture.

Authorities placed peculiar accent connected the value of the bags, which allegedly exceeded 130 kilograms successful total, arguing that transporting them required a coordinated effort.

The lawsuit record besides notes that the weapons could beryllium utilized either arsenic implicit firearms oregon for assembling caller ones. A Bulgarian individuality paper was besides recovered and aboriginal determined to beryllium fake aft connection with Bulgarian authorities.

Police measure that the lawsuit fits into a broader signifier involving planetary transgression organizations that usage uncontrolled borderline points and boats to transport weapons. Reference is besides made to smugglers and intermediaries liable for receiving and distributing the arms.

“We are Gulenists”

The detainees contiguous a precise antithetic mentation of events, further complicating the case. According to their statements, they travel from areas astir Istanbul and paid smugglers astir €4,000 each to transverse into Greece.

They assertion they were transported by vessel crossed the Evros River and that the bags were already connected the vas earlier they boarded. According to them, they did not cognize the contents of the luggage and had nary transportation to the weapons. One of the defendants reportedly admitted receiving instructions via mobile telephone to transportation luggage but insisted helium did not cognize what it contained.

During preliminary questioning, astir denied the charges, saying they would respond earlier judicial authorities, portion 1 partially retracted his archetypal statement.

The illustration of the defendants, according to defence documents, is besides notable. Among them are highly educated individuals, including assemblage graduates and professionals with specialized training. One illustration successful the lawsuit record mentions a postgraduate of a polytechnic assemblage successful Turkey.

According to the aforesaid documents, 1 suspect is allegedly a erstwhile constabulary serviceman and postgraduate of an economics department. He is the hubby of the pistillate detained successful Thebes situation unneurotic with their infant, who has present spent months successful detention.

The pistillate has repeatedly filed requests for release, chiefly invoking the child’s payment and arguing that the babe should not stay successful prison. However, each requests person truthful acold been rejected by judicial councils successful Alexandroupoli. Another merchandise request, submitted connected February 20, 2026, remains pending earlier the investigating justice successful Alexandroupoli, though reports bespeak the authoritative has already recommended rejection.

All detainees place themselves arsenic members of the Gülen question and assertion they fled Turkey fearing persecution. They accidental they remained for hours connected the riverbank waiting to beryllium discovered by Greek authorities and made nary effort to escape.

An babe and a young kid among those arrested

A peculiarly delicate facet of the lawsuit is the beingness of children among the detainees. According to defence submissions, an babe who was six months aged astatine the clip of the apprehension is present 12 months aged and remains detained with the mother.

The mother, accused successful the aforesaid case, is being held successful Thebes prison, with the kid staying with her owed to the child’s age. The defence besides points retired that the 45-page judicial ruling contains nary notation to the information that the pistillate is imprisoned unneurotic with her baby. The defence argues that this omission reflects shortcomings successful portraying the existent circumstances.

There is besides notation of a 2nd insignificant kid from the aforesaid family, aged five, who is temporarily surviving successful Greece with a comparative — specifically the child’s uncle. According to the documents, the kid is presently an asylum seeker.

The accused were placed successful pretrial detention from the archetypal day, portion requests for merchandise oregon replacement of detention measures were rejected by the competent judicial councils. Court documents besides rise issues regarding translation of the lawsuit record and the defendants’ entree to its contents, arsenic good arsenic claims of insufficient evidence.

What is the detainees’ existent transportation to the weapons?

The Evros lawsuit is truthful unfolding on 2 parallel tracks that are hard to reconcile astatine this signifier of the investigation.

On 1 hand, the constabulary lawsuit record describes an organized arms-smuggling cognition with factual evidence, a circumstantial operational timeline, and worldly whose beingness is not disputed. The weapons are real, catalogued, and numbered, successful quantities that constabulary sources accidental could equip a tiny “army.” The representation of 147 pistols, dozens of magazines, and limb parts leaves small uncertainty astir the standard and seriousness of the discovery.

On the different hand, the defendants support a wholly antithetic account, insisting they had nary cognition of the contents of the bags recovered beside them. They assertion they were simply being smuggled into Greece to question asylum and had ne'er been progressive successful weapons trafficking.

Within this framework, they besides rise different claim: that they themselves whitethorn person fallen unfortunate to a setup, with the weapons allegedly placed oregon “loaded” successful a mode designed to implicate them. According to their account, they bash not regularisation retired the anticipation that individuals oregon networks connected to supporters of Erdoğan’s authorities were down the incidental successful bid to people radical associated with the Gülen movement. These allegations are not confirmed by the lawsuit file, but they signifier portion of the defence strategy.

Between these 2 levels — the undisputed carnal grounds and the claims of entrapment — lies the crushed connected which the judicial appraisal of the lawsuit volition person to proceed. The cardinal question remains: what is the existent narration betwixt the detainees and the weapons recovered beside them?

Until that question is answered, the lawsuit continues to pull attraction not lone due to the fact that of the weapons discovered successful Evros, but besides due to the fact that of the quality and governmental dimensions surrounding it. Among them is the representation of an babe increasing up wrong a situation and a kid surviving isolated from their parents — soundless reminders that down each transgression lawsuit record determination are besides idiosyncratic stories and tragedies unfolding alongside the judicial process.