Criminal prosecution for a series of offences in the degree of felony and misdemeanor brought by the prosecutor against those arrested as members of a group blackmailers with action in the southern suburbs. Alongside arrest warrants were issued for three involved in the case.

The prosecution brought for the big case concerns the offences

1. Criminal organization

2. Address of a criminal organization

3. Blackmail by profession

4. Intentional grievous bodily harm

5. Dangerous bodily harm

6. Violation of the Arms Act and

7. Resistance

The file was forwarded to an investigator where the arrested were referred for their apologies.

The criminal organization whose members are involved in extortion of health shop owners, grievous and dangerous bodily harm as well as violation of the arms law has been dismantled by the Directorate of Prosecution of Crimes against Life and Property

In order to dismantle the criminal organization, a coordinated police operation was carried out in the early hours of yesterday, Monday, June 12, 2023, during which seven (7) members of the organization were arrested.

Against them, as well as against three (3) more members, a case file was filed for – as the case may be – criminal organization, extortion, grievous bodily harm, dangerous bodily harm, damage to foreign property, violence against employees and violation of weapons laws, as well as the E.O.F. law in combination with the law on food supplements and the fight against drug stimulation.

In particular, after many months of systematic research and utilization of the collected pre-investigative material, it was established that the criminal organization was active in a coordinated and organized manner at least since January 2021 in areas of southeastern Attica.

How the criminal organization operated

In terms of modus operandi, its members extorted owners of health shops under the pretext of “providing protection” and “on demand and for a fee”, causing dangerous and grievous bodily harm to people, collecting sums of money.

Also, they required their victims to turn to it “for the settlement of any matter” effectively replacing the role of the legally competent prosecuting authorities.

In fact, the members of the organization in many cases were distinguished by cruelty, increased immorality and antisociality, while they have been employed in the past for similar crimes.

What did the investigations find?

In searches carried out in nine (9) houses of the members of the organization as well as in nine (9) vehicles, which are means of carrying out their illegal actions (four (4) motorcycles and five (5) cars) were found and seized in total:

  • number of articles of clothing and footwear, which were worn during the incidents/offenses,
  • -8-mobile phones and SIM cards,
  • -3,860- euros,
  • -2- bulletproof,
  • -31- hunting cartridges,
  • shotgun,
  • knife,
  • iron fist,
  • folding knife,
  • pair of handcuffs,
  • -3- injections containing anabolic substance of unknown brand 2.5 ml,
  • vials containing anabolic substances,
  • -41-tablets of anabolic substances as well as
  • agendas-diaries with notes related to the organization’s criminal activity.

It is noted that, during the operation, a member of the organization fled at the sight of the police, but was immobilized despite resisting with kicks and punches, while another member was arrested by police officers of the Chania Security Sub-Directorate in Chania.

In addition, as part of the investigations, a case file was filed against one more person for supporting a criminal.

From the investigation so far, -9- cases of extortion have been identified with occasional attacks against shopkeepers, while the “protection provision” by the members of the organization in -9- shops has been established.

Those arrested, who have been employed in the past for similar crimes, will be brought to the competent prosecuting authority.