Police bust football hooligan drug ring: 17 arrested in Thessaloniki and Mykonos, leader flees to Germany

The operation

Greek police dismantled a violent gang rooted in organised sports hooliganism, arresting 17 people on 29 June 2026 during simultaneous raids in Thessaloniki and Mykonos. The operation was led by the Sub-directorate for Combating Organised Crime of Northern Greece. Of those detained, 15 are considered core members of the criminal organisation. Among the arrested were a minor and a member who had taken a seasonal summer job on Mykonos.

Gang activities

Investigators say the gang operated for roughly 18 months, hunting down and assaulting rival supporters of a prominent northern Greek football club. Victims were robbed and their belongings kept as trophies. Beyond the violence, the group ran a lucrative narcotics operation to bankroll itself.

Evidence seized

Searches of properties linked to the gang uncovered a weapons cache, including a 9 mm handgun, an air pistol, a shotgun, ammunition and multiple knives. Quantities of drugs were also confiscated.

Fugitive leader

The alleged ringleader escaped the dragnet, having recently relocated to Germany for work. Police said the fugitive is no stranger to investigators; he previously faced charges of harbouring a criminal connected to the March 2026 stabbing murder of 20-year-old Kleomenis in Thessaloniki’s Kalamaria district.

Next steps

The suspects remain in custody pending appearances before a local magistrate, while officers continue the hunt for the gang’s missing leader.