Suspects of Iraqi-Kurdish origin detained near Turkish border with more than 20 guns and tens of thousands of bullets

Greek police have arrested three British men in two separate operations on suspicion of trying to move a large number of guns and ammunition into Turkey.

The men, aged 22, 28 and 39 and all Iraqi Kurds with British passports, were found to have tens of thousands of small-calibre cartridges and more than 20 pistols and rifles close to the border with Turkey on Saturday evening.

The 39-year-old suspect was found to have 200,000 cartridges and four pistols on him when he was apprehended close to the Turkish border crossing. The other two had 18 rifles and 27,000 cartridges when they were detained at a town near the border after days of surveillance.

“We don’t have any evidence to connect them with Isis … we have informed Europol and Interpol,” a police official said on Sunday. The weapons were not combat rifles but could have been used for training, he added.



The suspects were due to be taken before a local magistrate on Sunday or Monday on suspicion of illegal possession of weapons and smuggling.