Five members of a 'Pink Panther' international criminal ring have been identified as the culprits of an armed robbery targeting a well-known jewellery shop in Athens on December 20, 2022, in which 24 luxury watches with an estimated cost of 135,000 euros were stolen, the Attica Security Police Department for Crimes Against Life and Property reported on Friday.
Police announced that two 35-year-old men were arrested in raids carried out on houses in Piraeus and Gerakas on Thursday, while various items of evidence were found on the suspects and the properties they were occupying.
In total, police said that five individuals have been identified and charged in connection with the case, including a 35-year-old Greek man and four foreign nationals aged 35, 47, 48 and 63, respectively.
They face charges of forming a criminal organisation, robbery, collaborating to commit theft and weapons violations.
Police said the group operated along the lines of internationalised Balkan organised crime, operating in a professional manner and committing robberies using the 'smash and grab' or 'ram and raid' methodologies, while they used forged or fake documents and carefully organised their operations.
The stolen motorbikes used in the robbery have been found and returned to their owners.
According to the Greek police, the members of the ring have records with law enforcement authorities in Greece and abroad for various offences, while the two men arrested will be taken before a public prosecutor.
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