Convicted felon Alket Rizaj declared fugitive after Anavyssos shooting

Furlough violation and declared escape

Greek law enforcement agencies initiated an extensive search for convicted felon Alket Rizaj after he failed to return to Domokos prison on the morning of Monday, 14 September 2026. Rizaj had departed the penitentiary in Phthiotis on an approved seven-day furlough, which represented his sixteenth temporary leave granted since 2021. Prison records indicate that he had observed release conditions and returned on time during all fifteen previous furloughs. The prison director notified the Hellenic Police immediately after Rizaj missed his mandatory 08:30 check-in deadline, leading authorities to officially declare him a fugitive. Personnel from the Department for Combating Organised Crime and specialized tactical units deployed across Attica and Central Greece. Operational teams are raiding properties at the addresses Rizaj declared on his leave application while technical units trace mobile phone signals.

Altercation at Anavyssos beach bar

The search follows an armed confrontation outside a beach bar on Athens-Sounio Avenue in Anavyssos during the early morning hours of Sunday, 13 September 2026. Trouble began shortly before 05:00 when the bar owner instructed customers to leave the premises and lowered the audio volume in accordance with operating rules. Rizaj walked into the parking lot with two companions, identified in police reports as Albanian nationals, where they began playing music at high volume from their vehicle. The 41-year-old business owner stepped outside to order the group to lower the volume, explaining that the loud noise risked attracting police patrols and administrative penalties. The verbal dispute deteriorated rapidly into a physical brawl in the parking area, drawing out several venue staff members and remaining patrons.

Escalation and gunfire

Security camera recordings recovered by investigators showed that at least ten individuals gathered during the escalating confrontation. As tensions flared, Rizaj produced a handgun to intimidate the venue owner and onlookers, with footage documenting him handling the weapon and discharging a shot into the air. An Afghan national working as security at the beach bar then drew a firearm and fired toward Rizaj and his companions. The bullets missed the Albanian convict and his associates, but ricochets struck two venue employees standing in the vicinity. Emergency police units responding to a 05:15 call found the parking area deserted, recovering two spent bullet casings and bloodstains from the ground.

Police investigation and arrests

The two wounded workers independently sought medical treatment at the Kalyvia Health Centre later that morning. Medical staff treated a 20-year-old Greek worker for lacerations caused by glass shards and a 41-year-old Pakistani national for a through-and-through gunshot wound to the leg. When interviewed by police officers, the injured workers and the business owner gave contradictory accounts of the events, prompting deeper forensic review of the venue surveillance video. Hellenic Police subsequently arrested the 41-year-old bar owner and his 39-year-old wife on charges of harbouring a criminal, providing false testimony, and complicity in illegal firearms possession. Tactical units are continuing operations to locate the Afghan security guard who discharged his firearm, while the hunt expands for Rizaj, a long-time associate of convicted robber Vasilis Palaiokostas.