Greek police arrest 'Pitbull' and 'Bulldog' of Entik's Russian-speaking mafia in Palaio Faliro

Arrest at a Palaio Faliro gas station

On the afternoon of Friday, August 7, 2026, Greek police arrested a 49-year-old member of the Russian-speaking mafia at a gas station in Palaio Faliro, on the border with Kallithea. The operation was carried out by the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. A 37-year-old was arrested alongside him, charged with harboring a criminal. Both were detained at the General Police Directorate of Attica (GADA) and are expected to appear before a prosecutor.

The 49-year-old had an outstanding arrest warrant from 2025 issued by the Extortion Prosecution Division, for criminal organization and extortion. He had fled abroad after the warrant was issued but recently returned to Greece, where police tracked his vehicle and apprehended him.

The 'Pitbull' and 'Bulldog' of Entik's organization

The 49-year-old was a member of the operational team of the criminal organization led by 'Entik,' a 50-year-old who was arrested in Dubai and whose extradition to Greece is pending. The operational team was responsible for extorting businessmen and carrying out violent attacks and beatings against individuals with whom the gang had disputes. Due to their brutality, members of this team were nicknamed 'Pitbull' and 'Bulldog' even by their own associates in the organization.

The 49-year-old, described as a co-ethnic from Krasnodar, Russia, supplied weapons to the group, including a bazooka brought from Russia. His criminal record spans from 2003 and includes extortion, aggravated assault, distinguished thefts and robberies, criminal organization formation, attempted homicide, illegal detention, and weapons violations. In 2010, he participated in bank robberies. He was also convicted in Cyprus for intentional homicide, with a European arrest warrant pending against him.

Criminal activities of the organization

The organization was involved in the production and trafficking of large quantities of contraband tobacco products in Athens, Thessaloniki, and regional areas. Entik used the operational team to control the contraband tobacco trade, as well as for extortion, abductions, bombings, arson, bodily harm, and threats against businessmen.

According to police information, the group extorted approximately 1 million euros from businessman G. Skaftouros a week before his assassination in 2022 in Boeotia. In another case, they placed incendiary devices in shops belonging to a pawnshop chain owner and invaded his home, beating him. They also stabbed two individuals who had not submitted to their threats.

Other arrests and ongoing investigations

The 37-year-old arrested alongside the 49-year-old was also a member of the same organization. He had been arrested in August 2025 and released in March 2026 with restrictive conditions. His previous record includes a six-year prison sentence for participation in a criminal organization that committed distinguished thefts. In the current case, he is charged with harboring a criminal after being found in the same vehicle as the 49-year-old fugitive.

The organization had been dismantled in 2025, though sources differ on the exact timing: one article references March 2025, while another cites August 2025. A 31-year-old described as one of the main executioners of Entik's mafia was arrested in Germany and awaits extradition to Greece. He had arrest warrants for three homicides, one attempted homicide, abduction of a correctional officer, and other criminal acts. He was also convicted for the murder of Evangelos Zambounis in Neo Kosmos.