Man accused of lifting 1 million euros’ worth of Swiss watches denies charges

Greek authorities have arrested a 48-year-old Romanian man wanted in Switzerland over the theft of four watches with a total worth of over 1 million euros ($1.1 million).

The suspect, who was not publicly named in accordance with Greek law, appeared before a prosecutor in Thessaloniki Monday and denied the charges. He was detained on an international arrest warrant at the airport in the northern city of Thessaloniki on Friday after arriving on a flight from Bucharest, authorities said.

According to legal documents, the man has been accused of stealing the watches along with an accomplice from a jeweler’s shop in Bern on Dec. 28. The two allegedly posed as buyers who asked to see the watches, and then swapped them with fakes.

A judicial panel will decide whether he is to be extradited to Switzerland. [AP]