The Sub-Directorate for the Prosecution of Crimes Against Life and Property of the Attica Security Directorate dismantled a criminal organization whose members were active in burglaries and thefts of safes from businesses and ATM burglaries in the Attica area.

3 members of the organization were arrested while 2 more members were identified and are locked up in a Detention Center

In order to dismantle the criminal organization, an organized police operation was carried out at noon the day before yesterday in Paleo Faliro, Oreokastro and Diavata, Thessaloniki, with the assistance of police officers from the Security Directorate of Thessaloniki, during which -3- members of the organization were arrested, while another -2- members of organization are incarcerated in Detention Centers of our country.

Warrants were pending against them issued on the basis of a case file for – as the case may be – the establishment of a criminal organization, distinguished theft by continuation and by profession, dishonesty, forgery and money laundering.

How did they act?

As it emerged from the investigation, the above at least from November 2021 until the middle of 2023, had set up and joined a criminal organization with the purpose of committing burglaries and thefts of safes and ATMs in various areas of Attica.

The members of the criminal organization acted with distinct roles and tasks, while their target was mainly shops and areas where ATMs and safes were installed.

Indicative of the organization and infrastructure they had formed to carry out burglaries and thefts, is the supply of specialized technical equipment (electric-hydraulic expander) for detaching locked safes from the fixed point to which they are screwed.

One of the perpetrators who had the role of transporting the equipment, when the safe was located, approached the spot and using the above specialized technical equipment detached the locked safe from its stable base.

As for the ATMs, after breaking through the fixed points of the safe using brazing or a wheel, they installed the electric-hydraulic expander to gain access to the amount of money.

Their approach and escape from the scene of the burglary was done in a car in which they sometimes placed stolen license plates, which they had taken from another car, and sometimes already existing fake license plates, which corresponded to cars of the same make and color.

It is noted that in one case they removed I.X. truck in order to transport the ATM, which they intended to remove.

5 cases of break-ins with the aim of stealing safes from businesses and 5 cases of break-ins at ATMs were solved, of which 2 were at ATMs installed at a University Foundation of Attica

From the investigation so far, -5- cases of burglaries with the purpose of stealing safes from businesses, -5- cases of ATM burglaries, of which -2- in ATMs installed in a University Foundation of Attica, truck theft and theft of license plates, while the financial benefit obtained by the criminal organization from its illegal activity exceeds the monetary amount of -160,000- euros.

It is pointed out that the arrested have been accused in the past of a number of similar crimes.

The arrested persons were taken to the competent prosecuting authority, while the investigation to ascertain the full extent of their criminal activity continues.