The sub-directorate for the investigation of crimes against life and property of the Attica Security Directorate liquidated a gang that carried out armed robberies of shops in central Athens.

In the course of a coordinated police operation carried out last Tuesday (23.05) by employees of the Department for Combating Property Crimes in the Districts of Athens, two foreign members of the gang were identified and arrested, and another foreigner, a member of the gang, attracted for non-compliance with the conditions of the autoforum.

A criminal case was initiated against them on the facts of the formation of a gang, serial and complicit robberies committed with an attempt, intimidation and violations of the legislation on weapons and the customs code.

As it turned out as a result of the investigation, in the period from April 2021 to March 2022, the gang members, having purchased the necessary logistical equipment (hoods, motorcycle helmets, hats, cloth masks, pistols, motorcycles), committed armed robberies in the shops in center of Athens.

In particular, in terms of modus operandi, they followed the following methodology:

• they were mainly aimed at supermarkets, gambling agencies and gas stations,
• their accomplices were waiting near the targets, monitoring the area and reporting on the police passing by,
• entered stores in hoods, motorcycle helmets, jockey caps and cloth masks covering the face,
• they threatened employees and customers using weapons and
• motorcycles were used to approach and leave the area, from which the license plates were either removed or hidden.

As a result of searches carried out in the houses, it was discovered and seized:

• sim cards,
• mobile phone,
• 14 packs of bootleg cigarettes
• knife,
• 2 drones and
• 6 anti-suffocation masks.

So far, eight robberies and two attempted robberies have been solved, while investigations are ongoing to fully establish their criminal activities, as well as to identify their further accomplices.

The detainees, against whom a criminal case has been initiated, were taken to the competent prosecutor’s office.