{"id":76400,"date":"2025-02-14T21:48:03","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T20:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/?p=76400"},"modified":"2025-02-14T21:29:21","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T20:29:21","slug":"criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/","title":{"rendered":"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n

Greek police have struck a structured criminal group involved in extortion and blackmailing businesses in the capital, Athens.<\/p>\n

Following a well-organized operation, law enforcement arrested five individuals, including three Albanians, one Greek, and one Egyptian.<\/p>\n

One of the arrested Albanians is reportedly a member of the infamous \u201cLions\u201d gang, known for its criminal activities.<\/p>\n

Arrested Individuals:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • U.H<\/strong>, 41 years old, from Tirana<\/li>\n
  • R.K<\/strong>, 43 years old, from Klos<\/li>\n
  • N.M<\/strong>, 42 years old, from Selenica<\/li>\n
  • A 34-year-old Greek<\/li>\n
  • A 38-year-old Egyptian<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Extortion Scheme and Areas of Operation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The criminal group had established an extortion scheme, moving through various districts of Athens, such as Patisia, Kypseli, and Agios Panteleimonas.<\/p>\n

    They entered businesses\u2014primarily caf\u00e9s and shops\u2014and threatened the owners, demanding money in exchange for \u201cprotection.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In many cases, they left a piece of paper with a phone number, waiting for businesses to contact them to negotiate the payment amount.<\/p>\n

    Footage obtained by police shows group members entering establishments with covered faces, using intimidation tactics to force business owners to comply.<\/p>\n

    According to Greek media, the group consisted of individuals with strong physical builds, which helped them instill fear and avoid complaints from victims.<\/p>\n

    Police Operation and Arrests<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The investigation into the group began in early February after police received information about large-built individuals moving through Athens neighborhoods and demanding protection payments.<\/p>\n

    After prolonged surveillance, law enforcement identified the suspects and, on February 12, 2025, launched an operation in the Kato Patisia area.<\/p>\n

    At the time of their arrest, police found the suspects inside a health food store. A suspicious individual was waiting outside, while four men were inside\u2014two of whom were already known to authorities for their criminal activities.<\/p>\n

    When officers moved in to arrest them, the group members responded violently and attempted to flee but were quickly subdued by the Department for Extortion Crimes.<\/p>\n

    Seized Items<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    During searches at the crime scene and their residences, authorities confiscated:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Two vehicles and a motorcycle used for illegal activities<\/li>\n
    • Five folding knives and two firearm holsters<\/li>\n
    • A handgun and ammunition<\/li>\n
    • Bulletproof vests and masks used for concealing identities<\/li>\n
    • Handwritten notes with names, addresses, and money amounts<\/li>\n
    • Eight mobile phones and \u20ac6,900 in cash<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Charges and Prosecution<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Two of the arrested individuals have admitted to extortion and blackmail, confirming that their goal was to obtain money from businesses in exchange for \u201cprotection.\u201d They now face charges for:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Organized crime<\/strong><\/li>\n
      • Extortion and blackmail<\/strong><\/li>\n
      • Violence against officials and judicial personnel<\/strong><\/li>\n
      • Illegal possession of weapons<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Greek authorities continue to investigate whether the group had connections to other criminal networks and to identify additional collaborators. Meanwhile, the five detainees are expected to appear in court in the coming days.<\/p>\n

        This operation marks another significant blow against criminal groups operating in Greece, particularly those involved in extorting and blackmailing local businesses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Greek police have struck a structured criminal group involved in extortion and blackmailing businesses in the capital, Athens. Following a well-organized operation, law enforcement arrested five individuals, including three Albanians, one Greek, and one Egyptian. One of the arrested Albanians is reportedly a member of the infamous \u201cLions\u201d gang, known for its criminal activities. Arrested […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":76401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153,1803],"tags":[2154,1565,243,151,323],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCriminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested - Euronews Albania<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested - Euronews Albania\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Greek police have struck a structured criminal group involved in extortion and blackmailing businesses in the capital, Athens. Following a well-organized operation, law enforcement arrested five individuals, including three Albanians, one Greek, and one Egyptian. One of the arrested Albanians is reportedly a member of the infamous \u201cLions\u201d gang, known for its criminal activities. Arrested […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Euronews Albania\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/euronews.al\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-14T20:48:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-14T20:29:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"577\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nen Si\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@euronewsalbania\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@euronewsalbania\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nen Si\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nen Si\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/444d280f35e047949b7f0bc08093608f\"},\"headline\":\"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-14T20:48:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-14T20:29:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/\"},\"wordCount\":470,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Athens\",\"crime\",\"kryesore 1\",\"Kryesoret\",\"Tirana\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Albania\",\"Latest news\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/\",\"name\":\"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested - Euronews Albania\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-14T20:48:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-14T20:29:21+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":577},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Euronews Albania\",\"description\":\"Top stories in Albania, Kosovo and the Balkans\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Euronews Albania\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/logo-mobile-euronews-albania-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/logo-mobile-euronews-albania-1.png\",\"width\":280,\"height\":33,\"caption\":\"Euronews Albania\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/euronews.al\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/euronewsalbania\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/444d280f35e047949b7f0bc08093608f\",\"name\":\"Nen Si\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/euronews.al\/en\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/author\/nensi\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested - Euronews Albania","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested - Euronews Albania","og_description":"Greek police have struck a structured criminal group involved in extortion and blackmailing businesses in the capital, Athens. Following a well-organized operation, law enforcement arrested five individuals, including three Albanians, one Greek, and one Egyptian. One of the arrested Albanians is reportedly a member of the infamous \u201cLions\u201d gang, known for its criminal activities. Arrested […]","og_url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/","og_site_name":"Euronews Albania","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/euronews.al\/","article_published_time":"2025-02-14T20:48:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-02-14T20:29:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":577,"url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nen Si","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@euronewsalbania","twitter_site":"@euronewsalbania","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nen Si","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/"},"author":{"name":"Nen Si","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/444d280f35e047949b7f0bc08093608f"},"headline":"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested","datePublished":"2025-02-14T20:48:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-14T20:29:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/"},"wordCount":470,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg","keywords":["Athens","crime","kryesore 1","Kryesoret","Tirana"],"articleSection":["Albania","Latest news"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/","url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/","name":"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested - Euronews Albania","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-02-14T20:48:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-14T20:29:21+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot_10-9-1024x577-1.jpg","width":1024,"height":577},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/criminal-extortion-group-dismantled-in-athens-three-albanians-arrested\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Criminal Extortion Group Dismantled in Athens: Three Albanians Arrested"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/","name":"Euronews Albania","description":"Top stories in Albania, Kosovo and the Balkans","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#organization","name":"Euronews Albania","url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/logo-mobile-euronews-albania-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/logo-mobile-euronews-albania-1.png","width":280,"height":33,"caption":"Euronews Albania"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/euronews.al\/","https:\/\/x.com\/euronewsalbania"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/444d280f35e047949b7f0bc08093608f","name":"Nen Si","sameAs":["http:\/\/euronews.al\/en"],"url":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/author\/nensi\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76400"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76402,"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76400\/revisions\/76402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}