Greek police arrest Albanian suspect over 2020 Loutraki axe double killing

The arrest in Kato Patisia

Police arrested a 43-year-old Albanian national on the morning of Thursday, 5 November 2026, in a flat in Kato Patisia, Athens. Reports differ on his age, with some giving 44. The raid was carried out in the presence of a prosecutor and with support from the EKAM unit, after police used information gathered by their crimes-against-life unit. Officers reportedly stopped him before he could use any of the weapons found in the flat. Police also detained a 41-year-old foreign woman in the same operation, who faces a charge of harbouring a criminal and a breach of aliens legislation.

Weapons, papers and new charges

Searches of the flat turned up a silver pistol with a wooden grip, two fully operational grenades with two detonating mechanisms, and three pairs of metal handcuffs. Police also found a residence permit belonging to another person that carried the suspect's photograph. He was reportedly travelling under forged identity documents. A case file was opened against him for violence against civil servants and judicial officers, forgery, and breaches of weapons and aliens legislation. NEWS 24/7 reported that he told officers the grenades were meant for use against police had they tracked him down. Reports also say investigators are examining information that he may have been preparing a new attack.

The 2020 double killing

According to police, the suspect fatally attacked a 43-year-old Ukrainian woman, his former partner, and a 42-year-old Greek pharmacist, who was her partner at the time, with an axe during the night of 10 to 11 October 2020. The attack took place at a holiday home in Loutraki, Corinthia, and the bodies were found on 11 October 2020. Afterwards he allegedly took cash and jewellery from the victims, drove the woman's car to an isolated spot and set it alight. Court rulings against him cover premeditated homicide, serial robbery and arson of another person's property, and NEWS 24/7 reported that they carry two life sentences.

Motive and an Interpol alert

Investigators examined sexual jealousy as the main motive from the start. Reports say he had not accepted the end of his relationship with the woman and had threatened her. The pharmacist had known the woman for only about two weeks before the killings. Through an exchange with Albanian authorities channelled via INTERPOL, Greek police learned that an Albanian international search notice was also pending against him, for attempted armed robbery as an accomplice. Police said he had previously come to their attention in cases involving drugs, robbery, weapons, the Road Traffic Code and gambling legislation. Police are examining whether he was involved in other offences between the killings and his arrest. NEWS 24/7 reported that over the years he changed his appearance with different haircuts and a beard, and kept moving between addresses.