Three arrested in Glyfada over 'burst tyre' thefts from bank customers' cars

The arrests

Police arrested three people in Glyfada on the afternoon of Monday, 12 October 2026, in an operation carried out under arrest warrants issued against the two foreign nationals. The investigation was run by the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, and police said the two men were members of a criminal organisation with international reach. A third person was arrested in connection with the same case. Case files were opened against all three for criminal organisation, aggravated theft, forgery, damage to another person's property, false testimony and violations of the law on aliens. The three were taken to the competent prosecutors, and investigators are continuing to establish the full extent of the group's activity.

How the method worked

According to the investigation, the group moved temporarily between countries to commit thefts and break-ins, a practice police described as criminal tourism. Members first watched bank branches for customers making large cash withdrawals. They then damaged a tyre on the target's vehicle and followed it until the driver was forced to stop. One member approached the driver offering help and distracted him, while an accomplice approached the car from the other side and took the bag containing the cash. The method is reportedly used widely, including in countries in central Europe.

Cases, seized items and prior arrests

Investigators have solved three thefts and two attempted thefts from vehicles, committed between early August and early September 2026. The total loot is estimated at more than 7,500 euros. Searches of an apartment in Athens where the suspects had been staying temporarily, along with personal searches, led to the seizure of two forged travel documents, mobile phones, jewellery and bank cards. The group also used forged documents to rent cars and short-term accommodation to avoid being traced. Contact with foreign authorities showed that the two foreign nationals had been arrested repeatedly abroad for similar offences in Spain, Norway, France and Germany, and one of them is being prosecuted by Spanish authorities for property crimes.

Video of the thefts

After the arrests, footage of the group's operation was published. Kathimerini released a video showing a man standing beside the car of an unsuspecting victim and opening the rear door slightly shortly before the driver stepped out to lock the vehicle. An accomplice then appears, checks his surroundings, enters the car and removes money before leaving the scene. To Vima said it had obtained video material of the group's operation.

What happens next

The three suspects were brought before prosecutors, and the investigation is ongoing. The figures reported so far cover offences from early August to early September 2026, and investigators have not yet established the full range of the group's activity.