Criminal organization from Serbia the members of which committed in total 4 murders in 2020, in Vari Attica and in Corfu, the EL.AS disintegrated.

Due to the cross-border nature of investigations, cooperation was developed with Europol and the French, Belgian and Dutch Authoritiesa Joint Investigation Team was established while large-scale and extensive technical-digital investigations were used as well as special investigative acts and police investigations.

According to the statements of the Director of the Attica Security Directorate, Major General Fotios Duitsis: “The first homicide was committed on January 19, 2020 in Variwhen four assailants entered a restaurant and shot fatally injuring two foreigners while they were having lunch with their families, also slightly injuring a relative of one of the victims. The second homicide took place on July 23, 2020 when two foreigners were found dead, with multiple gunshot wounds, inside a vehicle in the area of ​​Corfu”.

He added that “the four victims, citizens of Montenegro and Serbia, were leading and supporting members of a criminal organization, based in the region of Montenegro, active in drug trafficking worldwide, while being prosecuted internationally under Red Notices – three for forming a criminal organization and one for murder. However, in 2014 the criminal organization in question split into two separate and now rival organizations, when they lost 200 kilos of cocaine in Spain. This led the four victims to flee to our country in order to protect themselves from the rival organization, while they resided, using fake identity details, in areas of Attica, at least since 2019. The organization hostile to the victims merged with two more of the most powerful organizations of the Western Balkans gradually sending people to our country in order to locate the victims and carry out the murders. Characteristic of the great importance of the case is that the war between the two organizations has led to the commission of at least 60 murders throughout Europe, while for its investigation, at the initiative of our country, a Joint Investigation Team was created with Serbian authorities and a team of Europol, codenamed Ithaca’.

“The result of YDEZI’s investigations is the identification of every member of the criminal organization who participated in the murders carried out in our country, both of the natural perpetrators and their accomplices, as well as of the management members of the organization that decided to carry out the murders. Overall, in the context of International Police Cooperation, 39 members of the organization were identified, of which 7 were arrested in Serbia and 2 in Spain, while 17 members are incarcerated in various Detention Centers in Europe, of Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey. In particular, 8 members of the organizations were identified as moral perpetrators of the murders committed in Greece, 8 members as natural perpetrators, namely 4 in each homicide case and 23 members as their accomplices. From the investigations in our country, the arrest of a foreigner was achieved, who contributed to the safekeeping and transportation of the weapons used in the murders, as well as to the movement of members of the organization from Sivota to Halkidiki, where they lived until they fled abroad” continued Mr. Duitsis.

“The perpetrators would not hesitate to carry out the murders in a shopping center in Attica”

“I would like to refer to a point in the case that demonstrates the magnitude of the disdain these individuals have for human life and at the same time their dedication to their cause. When the two murdered in Vari had previously been located inside a large shopping center in the region of Attica, which receives thousands of visitors every day, the perpetrators would not have hesitated to carry out the murders inside it, not even thinking in the least about the possibility of there being collateral victims. And this is because their non-fulfillment is due to the late arrival of the weaponry at the scene” he underlined while thanking “at this point I would like to congratulate and thank Europol and the Police Authorities of Serbia, France, Belgium and the Netherlands for our excellent cooperation and the exchange of information between us, which had a catalytic role in mapping the modus operandi and structure of criminal organizations and solving the four murders in our country. I would also like to congratulate all the officers of the Crimes Against Life and Personal Liberty Division for their impeccable professionalism and dedication throughout the investigations.”

As mentioned, among others, the press representative of EL.AS. Constantia Dimoglidou ta 4 victims were being prosecuted internationally under red notices and were leading members of co-operative criminal organizations active in drug trafficking worldwide. “However, the members of a rival organization united with two other powerful organizations of the Western Balkans, resulting in the identification of the victims in our country and the execution of the murders. Due to the cross-border nature of the investigations, cooperation was developed with Europol and the authorities of France, Belgium and the Netherlands. A joint investigation team was established, while technical digital investigations of large extent and volume were used, as well as special investigative operations and police investigations. The result of the above collaboration was the complete verification of the structure and action of the three criminal organizations that united and collaborated to commit the murders in our country, the way they entered the territory of Greece and the means they used. At the same time, the identity details of each member of the organization and the degree of involvement of each in the cases, as well as the leaders who decided to carry out the murders, were ascertained.

He added that “for the two cases, a total of 39 people have been identified as perpetrators, namely 8 as natural perpetrators, 23 of their accomplices, as well as 8 moral perpetrators, 7 of whom were arrested in Serbia, 2 in Spain and one, a citizen of Albania, in Hellas. Also, 17 of these people are incarcerated in Detention Centers in Europe, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey.”

“For the case of Vari, a sum of money of 2,000,000 euros was required”

As Mrs. Dimoglidou said, “Indicative of the professional structure and the way they operated, was the ease of finding and transporting weapons, ammunition and equipment and the great liquidity of money. It is typical that for the case of Vari, a sum of money of 2,000,000 euros was required”.

“Furthermore, a sign of the organization’s determination is that, disregarding collateral losses, they entered a large shopping center in an area of ​​Athens, where they identified their targets, with the intention of shooting them, which they did not do due to the late arrival of armaments at the scene” he emphasized.

Statements of the Spokesperson of the Hellenic Police, Police Officer II Constantias Demoglidou:

“A transnational criminal organization was dismantled, whose members committed 4 murders in 2020, in Vari, Attica, and Corfu.

For the two cases, a total of 39 people have been identified as perpetrators, namely 8 as natural perpetrators, 23 of their accomplices, as well as 8 moral perpetrators, 7 of whom were arrested in Serbia, 2 in Spain and one, a citizen of Albania, in Greece. Also, 17 of these people are incarcerated in Detention Centers in Europe, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey.

Regarding the history of the case, in 2020 there were four murders of foreigners in our country, namely:

January 19, 2020 four attackers, having covered their features, entered a restaurant in the area of ​​Vari, Attica, and repeatedly shot two foreigners, citizens of Montenegro, while they were having lunch with their families, fatally injuring them, while a relative was also slightly injured one of them. 24 shell casings and 1 cartridge were recovered from the spot.
July 23, 2020, two foreigners, citizens of Montenegro and Serbia, were found dead inside a vehicle in the yard of a residence in Corfu, with multiple gunshot wounds all over their bodies. During the autopsy, 32 shell casings, 7 fireballs and 2 metal fragments were collected.
As Mr. Governor predicted, the four victims were prosecuted internationally with Red Notices – as the case may be – for forming a criminal organization and intentional homicide and were leading members of cooperating criminal organizations that were active in drug trafficking worldwide.

However, the members of a rival organization united with two other powerful organizations of the Western Balkans, resulting in the identification of the victims in our country and the execution of the murders.

Due to the cross-border nature of the investigations, cooperation was developed with Europol and the authorities of France, Belgium and the Netherlands, a Joint Investigation Team was established, while technical – digital investigations of large extent and volume were used as well as special investigative acts and police investigations.

The result of the above cooperation was the complete verification of the structure and action of the three criminal organizations, which united and cooperated to carry out the murders in our country, the way they entered the territory of Greece and the means they used. At the same time, the identity details of each member of the organization and the degree of involvement of each in the cases, as well as the leaders who decided to carry out the murders, were ascertained.

In particular, in order to achieve their purpose, they operated with a clear hierarchical structure and distinct roles, namely:

part of them had undertaken the identification and surveillance of victims, the rental of houses in suitable areas, the rental and supply of vehicles and the supply and storage of weapons and equipment while
other people had the role of “executors”, taking on the execution of the murders.
More detail:

once their targets were identified in Greece, the members of the organization immediately organized themselves and entered the interior of the country, using forged travel documents as well as moving through the paths of migrant smugglers,
the members had already procured from the leaders large sums of money, in order to use them both in the preparatory actions and for their escape,
in order to avoid the identification of the individuals, and especially the leading members, the information was transmitted through several people, while special means and techniques of concealment were also used (masks, wigs, gloves, diving suits, cleaning of the accommodation with chemicals and burning of the vehicles).
Indicative of the professional structure and the way they operated, was the ease of finding and transporting weapons, ammunition and equipment and the great liquidity of money. It is typical that for the case of Vari, a sum of money of 2,000,000 euros was required.

In addition, a sample of the organization’s determination is that, ignoring collateral losses, they entered a large shopping center in an area of ​​Athens, where they located their targets, with the intention of shooting them, which they did not do due to the late arrival of the armament at the scene.

Regarding the investigations carried out in our country, as mentioned above, a foreigner was arrested – an accomplice in the murders, who, as it turned out, took over the custody of the weapons and equipment of the first murder in Vari, their transport to Corfu for the execution second homicide, and the transfer of the natural perpetrators of this to the area of ​​Halkidiki, where they stayed until they fled abroad.

The above foreigner was located and arrested in the evening hours of Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in an area of ​​Athens, while a pistol, magazines and 40 cartridges were found in his home.

The case file was submitted to the competent prosecuting authority, while the arrested person was referred to an investigator.

Investigations to identify and arrest the remaining members of the organization are ongoing.