The Property Enforcement Unit of the Sub-Directorate for the Investigation of Crimes Against Life and Property of the Attica Security Authority dismantled the transnational criminal organization “Pink Panthers”, whose members committed the murder on December 20, 2022. armed robbery of a Rolex store in Athensrenting 24 luxury hours for a total cost of around 135,000 euros.

The organization has five people, including one citizen and four foreigners, against whom a criminal case has been initiated on the facts of a criminal organization, robbery, theft with aggravating circumstances, as well as for violating the law on weapons.

As it turned out as a result of the investigation, the organization was structured within the framework of transnational criminal groups and organizations of the Balkan organized crime, among which the Pink Panthers occupy a prominent place.

These groups operate internationally and primarily target jewelry stores, where they commit smash and grab robberies or ram and raid burglaries.

They operate “professionally” with a person with extensive experience in a particular activity at their head, they circulate with forged or falsified documents, taking special precautions during all their attacks, they use the tactics of opening and surveillance of the store they targeted even a few days before “hit”.

Members of the group are suspected of robbing a jewelry store in Athens:

• removed two motorcycles,
• purchased the necessary equipment (pistol, hammer, means to hide facial features),
• they stayed in a short-term apartment rental in Athens for a few days, which was used as a “base station”
• for their movements before and after the robbery, they used cars that did not belong to them, but
• three of them entered Greece and remained there for the absolutely necessary period of time to carry out the robbery and soon left Greece immediately after it was committed.

In addition, based on a thorough analysis of the evidence obtained from all pre-investigation materials, the results of forensic laboratories, as well as intelligence data obtained as a result of police cooperation with other countries, the role of each participant in the robbery was established. demonstrated.

In more detail:

• Before the robbery, the 47-year-old foreigner participated in two thefts of motorcycles, which were used as a means of execution, while using a hammer, he broke shop windows and shop windows and took off his watch. This man is an active member of the Pink Panthers criminal network with connections in various European countries, which helped to route the stolen watch to an extensive network of recipients in different countries in order to avoid detection.
• The 35-year-old foreigner, permanently residing in Greece, was a link between citizens and foreigners, participated in the theft of motorcycles and rented accommodation in which the “imported” criminals stayed. During the robbery, he stayed outside the store, watching the area, and then we helped a 47-year-old man escape from Attica. He is also an active member of the Pink Panthers criminal network with connections both in Greece and elsewhere in Europe.
• A 48-year-old foreigner attacked a store security officer and immobilized him on the floor so that he would not react during a robbery.
• The 35-year-old citizen threatened a store worker and a private security guard with a gun, giving them orders in Greek, so that it was considered that the criminal act was committed by local criminals, diverting the attention of the investigation. prosecution authorities. He drove up and fled the scene of the robbery on one of the stolen motorcycles, and the 48-year-old man then fled to the “shelter”.
• The 63-year-old foreigner acted as a “Trojan horse” of the organization to infiltrate his accomplices into the store, because, using the image of an elderly disabled person, he skillfully managed to convince a security officer to keep the door of the store open longer, as a result of which his accomplices entered the store.

It is noted that the 47-year-old, 48-year-old and 63-year-old entered our country for the sole purpose of committing a robbery and left almost immediately after it.

In the course of a police operation carried out yesterday morning and Thursday afternoon (2/3) in Piraeus and Gerakas, two 35-year-olds were arrested, and during the searches carried out in their homes, as well as in their possession, among other things, were discovered and seized:

• 950 euros,
• 5 mobile phones, one of which is very valuable,
• clothes and shoes used during the robbery,
• a wig and a pair of gloves
• motorcycle helmet,
• 4 cartridges,
• high precision weight scale,
• a package with a narcotic substance, possibly cocaine, with a total weight of 6.9 grams.
• nylon package containing Indian hemp, total gross weight 5.7g.
• identity card and driver’s license issued by foreign authorities of questionable authenticity
• USB stick,
• 6 SIM slots
• black knife, total length 14cm,
• 6 packs of cigarettes that do not bear the estimated cigarette consumption tax band,
• various documents such as driver’s license, responsible declarations, bank cards, etc.

It is mentioned that the motorcycles stolen and used in the robbery were found on December 20 and 29, 2022 in Athens and returned to their owners.

All members of a criminal organization in the past were involved both in our country and abroad to commit similar and other crimes.

The detainees were taken to the competent prosecutor’s office, and investigative actions are also ongoing to verify their involvement in other cases.