Turks in northern Greece held pending trial for smuggling weapons

A constabulary handout photograph shows a reddish cresent embossed into the grip of 1 of dozens of pistols seized from the Turkish suspects.

A Greek tribunal has ruled that 12 Turks arrested successful bluish Greece connected accusations of participating successful an planetary transgression radical smuggling weapons into the state should beryllium detained pending trial, ineligible sources said connected Thursday.

Greek constabulary past week located a radical of 15 radical adjacent to the Evros River astatine the Greek-Turkish border. They arrested astir of them and confiscated two sacks and 1 suitcase adjacent them, containing 147 pistols, dozens of bullets and weapons components wrapped successful integrative bags.

The 12 suspects are accused of illegally entering Greece and smuggling weapons with the purpose of supplying Turkish oregon different transgression groups progressive successful the country. They person denied immoderate wrongdoing, saying they are migrants and the guns were successful the vessel that traffickers used to transverse the river.

Over the past years, Greece has seen a important emergence successful the fig of Turkish nationals progressive successful shootings oregon arrested for weapon possession. Police, according to sources, person linked the summation to a bigger beingness successful Greece of Turkish transgression groups and pack members settling aged scores connected overseas ground. [Reuters]