Five arrested in Athens police operation against grenade-attack extortion ring

The operation

Police began a large operation on the morning of Tuesday, 3 November 2026 to break up a criminal organisation whose members are reportedly involved in serious unlawful acts. The operation is being carried out by the Subdirectorate for the Prosecution and Detection of Crimes against Life and Property of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (DAOE). According to the sources, five people have been arrested so far.

The case file also includes four further people who are already held in the country's correctional facilities. Police sources said one of the detained men is Lekotsai, described as a notorious boss of the prison mafia and one of the alleged instigators of the 2017 murder of lawyer Michalis Zafeiropoulos.

The alleged attacks

The group is reported to have been active in extortion, explosions at shops and attempted murder. The shops targeted are said to be on Omonia and Amerikis Square in central Athens, where grenades were thrown. Police said the wider investigation has not yet established whether the arrests are directly linked to the two attacks at the same shop on Acharnon Street.

According to the Kathimerini report, an unknown person smashed the shop window on 8 September 2026 using a manhole cover and threw a grenade inside, causing material damage. Less than a month later, on 5 October, shortly after 04:25, two people on a motorcycle returned to the shop and threw a second defensive grenade inside, which did not explode. A bomb disposal unit was called to the scene.

Who is involved

Kathimerini reports that Albanian criminal inmates are among the four prisoners named in the case file. Iefimerida reported that the attacks were directed at shops owned by Syrians in Agios Panteleimonas and Omonia. Those reports come from media outlets and have not been confirmed in the official announcement.

What happens next

The Greek Police said in an announcement that the members of the organisation are alleged to have been involved in extortion, grenade explosions and attempted murder. Authorities said further information on the group's activity and the roles of those involved is expected, including the charges they face.