Overall 197,000 euros It is the illegal benefit of the gang that stole churches in Athens and Kilkis, which according to police, lived richly from its action.

The arrested despite being inactive had purchased by 2023 in total 13 carswhile their transactions were only in cash as they had no bank accounts.

Four members of the organization have already been arrested and, among other things, jewelry, knife, carbine, cartridges, 3 vehicles and 550 euros have been seized.

So far, 33 cases of theft have been resolved.

Watch the Police video with the gang stolen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX2N3R4TLRC

The detainees were filed against the detainees- as a case-by-case- for criminal organization, distinguished thefts from a place for religious worship, money laundering, weapons and drugs.

As it emerged from the investigations, the perpetrators had set up and joined a long -term organization, with strong cohesion and dedication to their criminal activity, due to friendly bonds that linked them, with the aim of performing burglaries in sacred temples and removing their interior money.

In terms of how modus operandi, members of the criminal organization:

  • They used a “business” vehicle for spaceing, mainly in provincial areas,
  • Mostly evening hours, they went with a other “operational” vehicle to target temples, and entered violating the central doors or windows with burglary tools they possessed,
  • They had their features covered, using various protection measures (work gloves, dark clothes, full-face),
  • They were deducted money from the beans or the films, items intended for religious worship, as well as the Tamas dedicated by the faithful, which were mostly made of gold or silver,
  • They escaped from the point with their vehicle, in which they had altered or hidden the sign to avoid their location.

Indicative of their brazenness is the fact that during their stay in temples Procked extensive damagethe height of which is unspecified, and they did not hesitate to enter the UNESCO sites as monuments of particular historical importance and important to the world cultural and religious heritage.

At the same time, the financial survey conducted revealed that members of the organization were inactive And they did not justify their way of living all 13 car purchases from 2023 to the present.

In fact, did not have bank accounts and traded exclusively with cashderived from criminal activities that have sought to legalize through acquisition, possession and use of property.

From physical surveys and research in houses and carried out, in total they were found and confiscated:

  • burglary tools,
  • drug tablets,
  • multitude of mobile phones,
  • -2- Sugaies,
  • dagger,
  • Falcea,
  • pistol carry box containing a flash barrier adapter,
  • carbine,
  • -36- cartridges,
  • -550-euro,
  • precision scales,
  • clothing used in thefts,
  • work gloves,
  • religious image,
  • electronic devices and
  • Crowds of jewelry.

So far, – 33 – cases have been resolved by thefts from the Holy Temples, while investigations into complete verification of the width of the organization’s criminal activity are continuing.

The detainees are taken to the competent prosecutor’s office.