Mailman arrested for nicking cash, valuables from envelops

A 56-year-old Hellenic Post (ELTA) employee alleged to have been pocketing cash and other valuables from letters and packages for the past five years has been arrested on charges of multiple theft, police in Thessaloniki said Thursday.

Police closed in on the suspect after a series of complaints by ELTA customers who complained that items had been stolen from their mail. In a raid on his workplace Thursday, officers confiscated two music CDs that the 56-year-old is alleged to have taken from packages the day before.

An investigation by police indicates that the suspect had been stealing from ELTA customers since 2011. According to police sources, he also pocketed small amounts of cannabis whenever he found them in the mail before giving them to a colleague. The colleague, who was not identified, also faces charges as an accessory.