On 10 April, he was presented to the District Attorney of Athens. case at the expense of private individuals and police officers, as regards, in particular, crimes of extortion and fraud. It consists of 2,500 pages and is the result of an undercover investigation that began in 2019 and recently concluded. In total, 67 people are allegedly involved in the case, including five police officers. However, no criminal prosecution was initiated against them, as the competent prosecution authorities had not yet carried out a criminal assessment of the materials of the preliminary investigation.

According to what became known yesterday, the main activity of the suspects was usury And fraud. They lent money to clients of large casinos, which they then collected at a premium. In addition, under various pretexts, they deceived their victims. When their fraud was exposed, scheme assign thugs to terrorize victims until they stop demanding their money back.

The case allegedly involves members of a group of thugs operating in Piraeus and disbanded in 2020. In fact, the alleged leader of the extortionist group in Piraeus discovered that, after his preliminary detention, he continued to cooperate – for a fee, of course – with a ring of moneylenders and swindlers. The officers, some of whom are related to each other, inform the defendants in the case about the actions of the police, as well as whether the victims of the spiral have filed complaints against them.

The damage caused to the victims of the spiral is estimated to be close to 2.5 million euros.

First complaints

The gang took money from casino customers under the guise of investments and assigned thugs to terrorize them when they realized they had been scammed.

The first complaints against those involved were filed in 2019 with the prosecutor’s office of Ioannina. In the subsequent period, the case was referred to the Athenian Public Prosecutor’s Office, which demanded that the Extortion Investigation Office conduct a preliminary investigation in order to ensure security. The secret investigation of the criminal case on extortion lasted two years, the case materials were transferred to the prosecutor’s office ten days ago. As part of the investigation, the police have begun to seize dozens of telephone records, the contents of which indicate the involvement of 67 suspects in the case. A 66-year-old man who was extorted 80,000 euros reveals the actions of the participants in the spiral. Link to his case is made on a multi-page case materials at the disposal of “K”. “Under the guise of investing in casino customers, with the promise of returning a greatly increased amount of money, they managed to extort 80,000 euros from him.” When the 66-year-old realized he had been scammed and demanded his money back, the accomplices “threatened him to drop any claims.”

They managed to extort 885,000 euros from another victim, a 60-year-old man from Ermoupoli, Syros. At that time, the 60-year-old man won 1,750,000 euros in the Joker game, which, apparently, was known to the defendants in the case. It follows from the case file that the participants in the spiral convinced him that they are the ship owners and finance the activities of the casino operating in Northern Greece. Thus, they convinced him to participate in this activity himself, promising that within 6 months he would collect his increased capital.

As part of the investigation, the police recorded the conversations of the suspects, from the content of which it follows that the gang of scammers worked closely with a group of extortionists in Piraeus, namely with its alleged mastermind. “And that gives him a good thing. She gave him thirty the other day. Either thirty or forty,” two suspects say in a conversation, referring to the money collected by the head of the extortion group to “cover” a group of fraudulent usurers.

conversations

As for the police officers, there are records of their conversations, from which it is clear that they gave information about the presence or absence of complaints against members of the group. “What time do you fish?” Allow me to send you to tire a friend…” — one can hear him addressing the policeman, suspected of participating in the spiral, with the head of EL.AS. in response: “I think I have it in your old mail, so I’ll take a look.” I will see it and send it to you, but later…”.