Two policemen were arrested in Athens yesterday on suspicion of blackmail and abuse of power, after they allegedly forced two migrants living legally in Greece to pay them some 180 euros.

The police’s Internal Affairs Department said that the officers stopped the Pakistani men while on an early morning patrol yesterday and convinced their victims that they had to hand over 187.40 euros in cash.

It was alleged that the same policemen also stopped other migrants and Greeks last month and in March, swindling a total of 270 euros out of them. It appears that the money was paid as bribes so the victims would not be taken into custody for various offenses.

The officers are due to face a prosecutor and will be the subject of an internal police investigation as well.

It was not clear how the policemen were caught.