Egyptian man arrested with grenade in Glyfada; police say murder convict in prison ordered planned attack on prosecutors
Greek police arrested an Egyptian national in Glyfada on the evening of 24 July 2026, recovering a grenade in his possession. Authorities believe the suspect was preparing to carry out an attack directed by a fellow Egyptian serving a life sentence for murder.
The arrest
Greek police in Athens arrested a man of Egyptian origin in the coastal suburb of Glyfada on the evening of 24 July 2026. A search found a hand grenade in his possession. The Organized Crime Directorate (DAOE) had been tracking the suspect and moved to intercept him before any attack could take place. Authorities believe the arrest averted a serious strike aimed at judicial officials.
The suspect was recruited for the operation by an intermediary still being sought by police. He told investigators he was directed to a meeting point where he received the grenade from a Greek national unknown to him. That individual had been conditionally released from prison and was already being sought in connection with a drug case.
The inmate had not yet revealed the target to the courier.
The inmate mastermind
The arrested man named his commander as a fellow Egyptian currently incarcerated in Diavaton prison. That inmate entered the prison system in 2017 on a homicide conviction and has since been linked to robberies and other disciplinary offences committed inside the facility. A mobile phone found in his cell is now being examined by investigators.
Prison authorities are cooperating with the anti-organised crime unit to map the inmate's contacts and establish the full chain of communication that led to the grenade reaching Glyfada. The motive for ordering the hit remains unknown. Police are analysing whether the planned attack was a contracted killing, an act of revenge related to the inmate's original sentence, or tied to internal prison conflicts spilling onto the street.
Potential targets
Without a confirmed target from the arrested man, the Hellenic Police established a security umbrella around roughly 15 individuals considered at heightened risk. The list includes prosecutorial officials, and among the named figures is Isidoros Dogiakos, a former prosecutor of the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos).
Police had raised the alarm early. Sources indicate that approximately ten persons on the list were notified last Tuesday to exercise caution in their movements and, in some cases, to temporarily leave their residences. Physical protection was reinforced at the homes of several individuals, including Dogiakos, who has reportedly said he believes he was the intended target, though this has not been verified by the authorities.
The investigation is focused on why the imprisoned Egyptian ordered the grenade operation. The arrested courier has refused to provide any details about the objective, complicating efforts to confirm the final target.
The intermediary's residence
Officers executed a search at the home of the Greek man who allegedly handed the grenade to the Egyptian courier. During the search they seized a revolver and 4,000 euros in cash. The man remains at large. He had been released from prison under conditional terms and is wanted in connection with a narcotics case.
Ongoing investigation
The DAOE continues to examine the inmate's communications, the role of the intermediary, and the full list of possible targets. Until the actual target is identified with certainty, the protective measures for the 15 individuals remain in place.
