Police special guard seen behind 40,000-euro robbery

Internal affairs investigators with the Hellenic Police (ELAS) are looking into the possibility that a 22-year-old special guard and an unnamed businessman he allegedly robbed of 40,000 euros in cash may have known each other prior to the incident, which took place on Monday.

A recent hire of ELAS, the 22-year-old special guard is to face a prosecutor on Tuesday for allegedly ambushing the businessman as he left his apartment building in the southern Athens suburb of Elliniko on Monday morning. Threatening the victim with a gun, the 22-year-old and an accomplice forced their way into the car dealer’s home and made off with 40,000 euros in cash.

The special guard also threatened a neighbor who responded to the car dealer’s calls for help and had also been seen loitering around the apartment building on Saturday, when he told curious neighbors that he was patrolling the area, according to ELAS.

The businessman has also been taken into custody after rapid-response DIAS officers found 100 grams of cannabis and two precision scales in his home. He has been arrested twice before on narcotics charges, which internal affairs investigators believe is something the 22-year-old knew when he targeted him.

They are also looking into how the 22-year-old knew the car dealer would have such a large amount of cash in his home.

The special guard, meanwhile, had been reprimanded a few months ago when he was seen loitering outside the home of Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis and told members of the official’s personal guard that he was inspecting shops in the area.

He was reportedly demoted to foot patrols after that incident.