In a major crackdown, Greek authorities dismantled a violent extortion ring operating across Athens.
The network, tied to arson, drug trafficking, and attempted homicides, was run by an imprisoned Albanian crime boss issuing orders from his cell in a Greek prison called Diavata, says In.gr.
The operation was launched by the Anti-Extortion Unit and resulted in 25 arrests, searches of 28 properties, and the seizure of €100,000. Police linked the suspects to high-profile crimes, including a bloody shooting last October on Athens’ Syngrou Avenue, which left two men injured.
Investigators revealed that the gang leader, despite imprisonment, coordinated activities through his 20-year-old nephew, who served as deputy leader. The nephew relayed orders to gang members, further implicating the network in violent altercations.
The news marks yet another major bust for the Greek authorities in 2024 as it already announced the break up of several other extortion rings this year.
