Man arrested with explosives seen as arms ‘courier’ for criminals
A 39-year-old man arrested in central Athens last week for carrying explosives in his rented car is believed to be a kind of “courier” for the criminal underworld, sources from the security police have said.
The man was detained during a random police check of the car he was driving on Sokratous Street, near Omonoia square, on October 11. In the vehicle, officers found a gun, a small amount of explosives and detonators. A 34-year-old woman who was in the passenger seat was also arrested.
Police believe the suspect had procured the Tokarev pistol, the detonators and the explosives a few hours before his arrest from an area of Western Attica, most likely Menidi. When questioned, the 39-year-old reportedly stated that he got the weapons from “Mario” without providing further details about the identity of the person.
Officers also believe that the man does not know the recipient of the munitions and that he was expecting to receive instructions shortly before their delivery. In his phone contacts, officers found the names of various known criminals.
The 39-year-old has a long criminal record. In 2008 he was arrested for possession of a significant amount of heroin and cannabis. He was initially sentenced to life imprisonment but the sentence was changed to 20 years in appeal. He was released after serving a third of his sentence (7 years) based on a law introduced in 2015 to decongest Greek prisons.
The court also ordered his deportation but it is unclear if the decision was carried out.
Then, at the beginning of the summer, the suspect was accused of raping an underage girl. An indictment is pending.
After his latest arrest, he is also facing charges of supplying and possessing explosive materials.
