In circuit dislocation who was robbing houses, extorting and kidnapping, the police proceeded to arrest 7 people.

According to the police announcement, 35 burglaries committed by the organization which was structured within the transnational criminal groups and organizations of the Eurasian organized crime (according to the international terminology “VOR V ZAKONE”) were solved.

They were confiscated pistol, revolver, lots of cartridges, flare gun, lots of burglar tools, keys, locks and door knobs, electronic devices, paintings, jewelry cases, wrist and pocket watches, etc.

They obtained more than 200,000 euros from their criminal activity, while their participation in a number of criminal acts is being investigated.

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A transnational criminal organization was dismantled by the Property Crimes Department of the Attica Security Directorate, whose members committed burglaries and thefts from houses and warehouses in Attica and the province, while also being involved in cases of kidnapping, extortion and usury.

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In order to end their action, yesterday (12-01-2024), with the assistance of S.D.O.E. inspectors, an organized police operation was carried out in various areas of the center of Athens, and seven (7) foreigners were arrested, from of which six (6) members of the criminal organization and one for participating in it.

A case file was filed against them for – as the case may be – a criminal organization that committed distinguished thefts, participation in a criminal organization, acceptance and disposal of proceeds of crime, usury by profession, extortion, extortion, violation of restrictive measures, violation of the laws on weapons, drugs and foreigners as well as for money laundering.

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At the same time, as part of the operation, -13- additional foreigners were brought in, for 7 of whom they moved administrative deportation proceedings.

In particular, as emerged from the investigation, the above defendants, at least since October 2022, had founded and joined a criminal organization that committed burglaries and thefts from houses and warehouses in various areas of Attica, as well as in the province. Also, its members were active in extortion, extortion and usury.

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The organization was structured within the framework of Transnational Criminal Groups and Organizations of Eurasian Organized Crime (according to the international terminology “VOR V ZAKONE”).

Those anointed with the specific title “VOR V ZAKONE (Thief in Law)” are the leaders of the organizations, they inspire respect in all members of the group and in the corresponding criminal organizations that operate in each country and follow specific rules of conduct. They obey the “laws” of the criminal life and have organized all their activities and contacts around it. The main characteristic of the organization is loyalty and devotion to the “Team”, which is ensured by the fact that its members have a common national base.

In the hierarchy, a prominent place is occupied by the Leader, who has been “crowned” VOR, that is, he has received a title that makes him the undisputed leader and coordinator of the group. To him all members of the group submit, giving him a full account of their criminal activities and constantly showing their loyalty.

The position of “VOR” leader was held by an arrested person, who received information about the group’s activity both at the level of criminal activity and at the level of the subsequent process of channeling the stolen goods to the market.

Yes, the team members they had such a level of respect but also of fear towards his person, possessed of a special anxiety in case their actions caused his displeasure. The action of the leader, however, did not stop at thefts, but also extended to blackmailing third parties as well as providing protection to the members of his group.

Next in line was another detainee who, although occasionally confined to detention facilities, continued to operate by providing information to the operative members of the group on the targets they would select. He was involved in at least -18- cases of burglaries, while during his time in prison he gave instructions to a member of the organization (also arrested) on how to introduce drugs into the detention center, without being noticed.

The rest of the members of the organization constituted its operational arm, being essentially street-level criminals, acting daily to achieve their purpose.

The network of loan sharks also played an important role in the operation of the organization, who were active in obtaining illegal benefits. This role had been assumed by the seventh arrested, having set up a money lending “office”, while also accepting stolen goods.

In this way, the organization multiplied its profits, circulating large and small sums of money and managing the gradual influx of illegal proceeds into the legal economy (“laundering”).

As for the mode of action (modus operandi) in carrying out the burglaries, it emerged that:

they initially moved to the neighborhood they had chosen, using their company cars, where they carried out surveys of the target houses and monitored the movements of the residents of the premises,

they parked the business vehicles in nearby places and after checking whether the residents were absent from the apartments, they proceeded to break into them,

they were in constant communication and talked in coded terms about the area in which they wanted to act and about the apartments, while

at least one member supervised externally (chiliadors).

Characteristic of their professionalism, was the special know-how and expertise regarding the various types of locks as during the break-in they did not leave any visible traces of tampering. At the same time, in order not to raise suspicions, they had acquired -4- “business” vehicles, which were registered in the data of other persons.

Also, indicative of their cruelty and their engagement in parallel criminal acts was that in October 2022, the leadership, another member of the organization, exerted particular psychological pressure on a then member of the group, as a result of which he was led to commit suicide by using sub-machine gun, while the members of the group did not hesitate to carry out threats, blackmail and even kidnapping, in order to “comply” third persons who did not cooperate with them and above all, who did not pay their debts to them.

As part of the searches carried out in houses, among others, the following were found and confiscated:

-2,451- euros,

-4- vehicles,

pistol, revolver and flare gun,

pepper spray,

67.9 grams of narcotic substance,

number of cartridges,

number of alcoholic beverages,

laptops,

multitude of cameras, cell phones, sim cards,

footwear, handbags and clothing,

variety of burglar tools and locks,

knives, knives, and a multitude of swords,

Paintings,

box engraved with the star “VOR V ZAKONE”,

clock crowd,

utensil set,

banknotes of various countries,

number of money transfer receipts.

It is noted that, from the preliminary investigation, the involvement of the members of the criminal organization with a business emerged and for this purpose, additional investigations were carried out, with the assistance of echelon inspectors of the S.D.O.E. in stores, where a large number of agendas and decorations were found and confiscated, -1,336- liters of olive oil, while a number of violations were confirmed.

Also, the above-mentioned “office” was housed in an apartment building, in which it was found that there were apartments – rooms, which functioned as a “shared” guest house for foreign nationals and also as a “STUDIO”. In these areas, -10- foreign women were found.

So far, -35- burglaries in houses and warehouses, one case of robbery and two cases of extortion have been solved, with the illegal benefit they obtained exceeding -200,000- euros.

The arrested were taken to the competent Prosecutor, while the investigation continues to ascertain the full scope of their criminal activity and the origin of the confiscated items, which are estimated to be stolen.