Police in Athens have said they have identified five members of a Pink Panthers-style international criminal gang as the culprits in an armed robbery of an Athens jewelry shop in December, in which 24 luxury watches worth €135,000 were stolen.
Two 35-year-old men – one Greek and one non-national – were arrested in raids carried out on houses in Piraeus and Gerakas on Thursday, police said.
The raids also yielded evidence that led to the arrest and charging of three other suspects, aged 47, 48 and 63, respectively.
They face charges of forming a criminal organization, robbery, conspiring to commit theft and weapons violations.
Police said the group operated along the lines of global Balkan-based organized crime gangs, operating in a professional manner and committing robberies using the “smash and grab” or “ram and raid” methods, while they used forged or fake documents.
The stolen motorbikes used in the robbery have been found and returned to their owners.
According to the police, the members of the gang have criminal records in Greece and abroad for various offences.
The Pink Panthers are an international jewel thief network responsible for a number of robberies and thefts described as some of the most audacious in the history of organized crime. [AMNA]
