Chalandri: Steroid manufacturing lab discovered beneath pharmacy – 14 arrested

The operation was carried out by the Financial Crime Unit of the Organized Crime Directorate. During a coordinated police raid conducted on the morning of June 9, 2026, in cooperation with the National Organization for Medicines (EOF) and supported by specialized police units, 14 members of the ring were arrested, including its alleged leader.

The suspects face charges, depending on their involvement, including participation in a criminal organization, forgery, distribution of harmful pharmaceutical products, and violations of sports anti-doping legislation.

According to investigators, the group had been operating since at least January 2024, engaging in the organized production and trafficking of pharmaceutical products and performance-enhancing substances.

Authorities identified a 51-year-old pharmacy owner as the alleged ringleader. Investigators say he directed the production and distribution of the illegal products and had installed a fully equipped pharmaceutical manufacturing laboratory in the basement of his pharmacy without the required authorization from EOF and without complying with Good Manufacturing Practice standards for sterile pharmaceutical products.

Investigators found that:

• Ten members of the network, including trained specialists such as biologists, were involved in manufacturing the products.
• The products were distributed directly through the pharmacy or supplied wholesale to a packaging and distribution company owned by a 26-year-old foreign national that lacked the necessary operating licenses.
• Sales were promoted through websites, while deliveries were made either in person or through parcel shipments falsely labeled as dietary supplements or wellness products.
• The products included substances marketed for weight loss, erectile dysfunction treatment, and performance enhancement (doping agents).

In some cases, investigators found substances that are still in the experimental research stage. Other products were manufactured using raw materials of questionable origin, while counterfeit versions of branded pharmaceutical products were also discovered among the inventory.

According to EOF, the seized products are considered harmful to consumers’ health.

Seized items

During searches conducted at a residence, the pharmacy, and a dietary supplement company in the presence of judicial officials, authorities seized:

• 40,856 units of illegal pharmaceutical products and doping substances
• 13 kilograms of raw materials
• Parcels prepared for shipment
• €47,320 in cash
• Large quantities of packaging materials, including vials, caps, and labels
• Handwritten notes
• Mobile phones and a computer

Investigators estimate that the network carried out more than 15,000 shipments across Greece and to 90 countries worldwide.

The value of the seized products is estimated to exceed €600,000, while revenues generated from the illegal operation are believed to have surpassed €1 million.

The suspects have been brought before the competent prosecutorial authorities.