Police in Heraklion arrest three suspects over church burglaries in Minoa Pediadas

Thefts targeting parishes in Minoa Pediadas

Police officers in Crete have detained three individuals following a string of church burglaries across the municipality of Minoa Pediadas, located in the Heraklion regional unit. According to official police reports, the criminal activity took place over a period extending from 9 September 2026 through the nighttime hours of 28 September 2026. During this multi-week span, the suspects targeted local ecclesiastical properties in the wider municipal area. The operational findings indicate that the suspects carried out a total of four church break-ins, consisting of one completed burglary and three attempted incursions. From the single successful entry, the perpetrators took 300 euros in cash. The recurring attacks on parish premises in the region prompted law enforcement to connect the individual cases into a unified burglary pattern.

Nighttime attempt and suspect identification

The breakthrough in the case developed following the final attempted break-in on the night of 28 September 2026, when unknown perpetrators tried to break into a church in Minoa Pediadas. Officers based at the Kastelli Police Station collected physical clues and operational intelligence from the scene to identify those involved. The subsequent evaluation of data enabled investigators to identify three individuals: a 59-year-old man, a 27-year-old man, and a 32-year-old woman. On the afternoon of Tuesday, 29 September 2026, police located the three suspects and placed them under arrest. The coordinated apprehensions took place within twenty-four hours of the final attempted break-in at the local parish site.

Vehicle search and seized burglary equipment

Upon taking the suspects into custody, police conducted a detailed inspection of the private passenger car used by the group during their movements. The search of the vehicle led to the discovery and seizure of two crowbars, classified by authorities as burglary tools utilized to force entry into church buildings. Further verification of the car's documentation uncovered multiple fraudulent modifications. Police determined that the passenger car was registered under the ownership of another man who was not present among the suspects. Additionally, the vehicle displayed false license plates that belonged to another registered vehicle, a tactic used to evade detection during the nighttime church raids.

Ongoing inquiry by Kastelli police

The three suspects now face formal charges of aggravated theft covering the single completed theft and the three attempted burglaries. The Kastelli Police Station is conducting the ongoing preliminary investigation to document the exact timeline of entries and attempts between 9 September 2026 and 28 September 2026. The two seized crowbars, the 300 euros in stolen funds, and the impounded vehicle with fraudulent plates form the core physical evidence gathered by the station. The preliminary case file is being prepared by investigators in Kastelli for submission to the competent prosecutor in Heraklion.