A criminal organization, whose members were active in committing house burglaries in areas of Northern Greece, was dismantled by the Northern Greece Organized Crime Directorate of the Organized Crime Directorate.

In order to deconstruct the organization, a coordinated police operation of the Property Crimes Office of the Department for the Prosecution of Crimes Against Life and Property, with the assistance of police officers from the Department of Intelligence and Special Actions and the Sub-Directorate of Special Operations, was carried out in the early hours of yesterday, November 26, 2024, in areas of Thessaloniki. Actions of Thessaloniki.

During the operation, they were also found -4- members of the organization were arrested, including the leader (against whom, moreover, an arrest warrant was pending for) and a case file was filed against them – as the case may be – for criminal organization, aggravated theft, damage to foreign property, weapons and violations of radio spectrum monitoring legislation.

At the same time, in the context of the business an additional non-member was arrestedagainst whom an arrest warrant was pending for a case that was also pending against the leader of the organization.

How did they act?

As emerged from the methodical investigation, the members formed and joined a structured and continuously active organization, at least from August 2024, in order to carry out, with a different composition each time, house burglaries in areas of Northern Greece.

Regarding the mode of action (modus operandi), the members of the organization used a specific methodology, namely:

  • for their movements they used a “business” vehicle, which they parked and kept in a specific location in an outdoor area in an area of ​​Thessaloniki so that they could see it at any time,
  • to approach their business vehicle they used -3- other vehicles, owned by them or their relatives,
  • they traveled in the morning and afternoon to areas of Northern Greece and found houses from which the tenants were absent,
  • they entered the houses, breaking windows, central doors or balcony doors with burglary tools,
  • they took money and valuables and left.

The roles

At the same time, the role of each member of the organization was certified, namely:

  • A 39-year-old senior member, he was in charge of recruiting people into the organization, determining the composition of the group in each of their illegal activities and arranging their movement, as a driver, due to his driving skills.
  • the other members (aged 22, 28, 29, 31 and 35), had an operational role, tasked with breaking into houses and removing cash and valuables from the interior.
  • In fact, the members of this structured organization were linked by direct and close family relationships, which gave them special cohesion and loyalty.

Arrest warrants were pending against the leading member, as well as against the arrested – non-member -, following the filing of a case file, as identified members of a criminal organization that, in 2021, had committed robberies and burglaries in a jewelry store, -2- companies and in Public Service, as well as license plate theft, in Thessaloniki and Imathia.

9 burglaries were solved – their “turnover” was over 141,500 euros

In the context of investigations by the Property Crimes Office of the Department for the Prosecution of Crimes against Life and Property, house burglaries have been discovered in areas of Thessaloniki and Trikala, as well as in Kavala and Pieria, while the illegal financial benefit they have obtained exceeds the amount of -141,500- euros.

What did the investigations find?

From the searches carried out in houses, in total the following were found and confiscated:

  • -887.5- euros,
  • -4- vehicles,
  • wristwatches,
  • -3- cartridges,
  • portable transceiver,
  • multitude of electrical appliances,
  • lot of jewelry,
  • gold ring and
  • vehicle key.

The confiscated items will be sent for laboratory examination, while those arrested will be taken to the competent prosecuting authority.

Investigations to identify and arrest the other members, as well as to fully ascertain the scope of the organization’s criminal activity, are ongoing.