Italian tanker broker Eric Roveta, 47, was detained by Greek police on charges of heading an international criminal network involved in $21bn worth of oil trafficking in Latin America, Splash 247 reports.
Roveta had an outstanding international arrest warrant issued by Venezuelan authorities. Police arrested him at his mansion in Varkiza, a small coastal town and suburb of Athens.
A red notice issued by Interpol at the request of Venezuelan authorities alleged that the organisation was loading petroleum products from Latin American ports under the guise of legitimate shipping companies.
The criminal network led by Roveta smuggled hydrocarbons in a scheme called PDVSA-Cripto. The operation involved the acquisition of satellite devices and vessel identification systems to evade controls at Venezuelan ports.
They transferred satellite and identification devices acquired from decommissioned ships in Asian ports, installed them on their tankers and deactivated them during transport, thus deceiving charterers.
Following his arrest, Roveta appeared before a prosecutor in Athens. He had previously been arrested in Dubai and released, but Greek police said the investigation before his arrest was thorough. Roveta now faces trial and possible extradition to Venezuela.
