The deconstruction of a criminal organization, whose members are involved in a number of criminal acts, was the result of a long and systematic investigation carried out by the police officers of the property crime department of the Security Directorate of Thessaloniki.

As part of a coordinated operation carried out on Tuesday morning in the areas of Diavati and Serres by the above-mentioned service, with the assistance of the Special Operations Sub-Division of the Thessaloniki Security Directorate, the Public Security Directorate of the Serres Security Subdivision and OPKE of the same sub-division, four members of the organization were arrested.

These are citizens of 54, 32, 46 and 37 years old, against whom, as well as against two more participants (one of whom is temporarily held in a pre-trial detention center for other offenses), a criminal case has been initiated in the case of a criminal organization, robbery, theft with aggravating circumstances , damage to foreign property, forgery, “Regulation of issues related to weapons, ammunition, explosives, explosive devices and other devices” and “Radio frequency monitoring – non-public broadcasts”.

The above participants formed the specified criminal organization at least since the end of October 2022, with the aim of carrying out in their profession, each time with the same or different composition, the commission of criminal acts in order to obtain illegal financial gain.

In particular, they traveled to different areas of northern Greece in order to break into houses and then seize money, jewelry and other items from them.

The characteristics of the mode of action of the considered criminal group were:

• selection of sparsely populated areas and the adoption of protection measures,
• use of high power vehicles and
• changing the exterior color of the vehicles they were using, and posting stolen or fake license plates to match other existing vehicles of the same type in order to mislead police authorities.

As a result of a police investigation carried out by the Property Crimes Division of the Thessaloniki Security Directorate, with the assistance of the Serres Sub-Directorate of Security, as well as other services of the Police Directorates of northern Greece, it was found that, in the context of their illegal activities, the above-mentioned members committed 84 criminal acts, and the total “loot” received by them ” is valued at least around 200,000 euros.

In particular, they did:

• 64 burglaries (committed and attempted) and one company burglary,
• 18 thefts of state license plates and
• robbery.

During the police operation carried out yesterday in the homes of the members of the group, as well as in the car they used, the following were found and confiscated:

• The total amount of money 2100 euros as a result of criminal acts.
• Electronic devices.
• Jewelry.
• Air gun.
• Metal box with lead air gun bullets and (3) empty ampoules.
• Tools.
• Lots of perfume packaging.
• Two portable transceivers tuned to EL.AS frequencies, and two portable intercoms.

It is noted that some of the items have been identified by their owners and attributed to them, while the legality of possession of other seized items is being investigated.

In addition, five vehicles were seized as a means of committing criminal acts.

The detainees will be taken to the Criminal Prosecutor’s Office of Thessaloniki while investigations continue into their possible involvement in other criminal acts.