In the large dislocation criminal organization, which operated in many areas of the country, with elderly victims, the Police proceeded. So far, eight people have been arrested, while the case file includes another six, including one police officer.

The loot of the organization from the thefts and frauds against the elderly reached 200,000 euros, while weapons, jewelry, gold pounds and almost 12,500 euros in cash were confiscated from their headquarters.

The Police announcement in more detail:

A criminal organization was dismantled from the Agrini Security Sub-Directorate, whose members were active in committing thefts and frauds under the guise of employees of PPC or the Municipality, at the expense of mainly elderly people in various regions of the country.

8 members of the organization were arrested and against them as well as against 6 other people – including a police officer – a case file was filed for case-by-case, criminal organization, aggravated theft, fraud, robbery, acceptance and disposal of proceeds of crime, breach of duty, bribery of an employee as well as violations of money laundering and arms laws.

As emerged from the months-long and methodical investigation, the members of the organization, at least since December 2022, had set up a criminal organization with the purpose of committing thefts and frauds against mainly elderly people.

More specifically, acting in small groups, mainly in the morning and midday hours, they would locate houses where elderly people lived and, pretending to be PPC or Municipality employees, would enter them.

Then, with various pretexts and tricks, they convinced their victims and managed to extort sums of money and valuables, which they then resold in a shop run by one of the members.

A characteristic element of the “professionalism” with which they acted was that they had defined distinct roles between them, with a division of responsibilities in approaching the victims and in “guarding” the field of action, while their accomplice who was located nearby took care of their escape with an operational vehicle.

In fact, in order to make it difficult for them to discover their illegal activity, they changed the means they used to facilitate their escape from the place where the criminal act was committed.

With reference to the police officer involved, it emerged that he had knowledge of the activities of the criminal organization, demanded sums of money from its members, while as it was established, he had informed the perpetrators of the organization that they were wanted, following a criminal act they committed last June.

The deconstruction of the organization took place yesterday, Friday September 29, 2023, in Alexandria Imathia, as part of a coordinated police operation, with the participation of police officers from the Alexandria Security Department, as well as OPKE teams. Agriniou and Veria, while in subsequent searches in houses as well as in the above shop, the following were found and confiscated:

shotgun,
-5- vehicles,
a number of valuables and watches worth at least 39,700 euros,
cell phone crowd,
handwritten notes,
32,500 euros and 7 golden pounds.

So far, 44 cases of robbery, fraud, theft as well as attempted fraud and theft have been solved in Aitoloakarnania, Halkidiki, Arta, Preveza, Achaia, Thessaloniki, Thesprotia, Ioannina, Pella, Fthiotida, Boeotia, Edessa and Kilkis, with the illegal financial benefit of exceeds 195,135 euros.

Those arrested were taken to the competent prosecutor’s office while the investigations, to fully ascertain the scope of their illegal activity, continue.

On the occasion of this specific case, it is recalled that on the website of the Hellenic Police (www.astynomia.gr) and specifically on the hyperlink https://tinyurl.com/3nyzsayt, special advice is available with the aim of avoiding the deception of citizens by astute people who approach mainly elderly people and with various pretexts and tricks extort sums of money from them.