Man arrested at Syntagma after botched heist

A 38-year-old man was arrested Wednesday as he was attempting to rob a jewelry store in Syntagma Square, central Athens.

The suspect reportedly entered the store, threatened an employee with a gun and fled with jewelry worth 74,910 euros and an undisclosed amount of cash.

He was chased by the store owner and was finally nabbed by police who were called to scene.

Apart from a pistol, police also confiscated forged documents and a fake hand grenade found in his possession.

An investigation later linked the suspect with a string of armed robberies of banks and stores since 2015. The jewelry and money were returned to the owner.