A former shipowner and a shipping agent found guilty of smuggling over two tons of heroin into Greece onboard the Noor 1 have been sentenced to life in prison.
have been sentenced to life in prison.The Felony Appeals Court of Piraeus sentenced Makis Giannousakis, the vessel’s former shipowner, to life imprisonment plus eight years and is required to pay a fine of €300,000.
Giorgos Bourdouvalis to life imprisonment plus nine years for his role as agent for the Noor 1. The Dubai-based agent has also been ordered to pay a €600,000 fine.
The vessel was carrying the heroin from the United Arab Emirates to Elefsina in Greece at the time of its arrest in June 2014.
Nine other individuals have also been sentenced and fined in connection with the smuggling racket, including Emilios Kotsonis, Vasilis Kourouvanis and Panagiotis Faros, who were linked to the ownership, rental and commercial use of Noor 1. Kotsonis was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, and the others to eight years.
The three men have been released on bail and their penalties have been suspended until an appeal hearing.
Sentencing someone to life imprisonment and then letting him out on bail pending an appeal is … unusual…