Authorities Arrest Suspected Firestarter on Mt. Egaleo
Officials announced the arrest of a 33-year-old Turkish man on Sunday, following his alleged confession to setting three fires on Mt. Egaleo this month. The suspect, who has filed an asylum application but does not possess an asylum request card, reportedly entered Greece from Turkey around two months ago through the border prefecture of Evros.
Police sources revealed that the suspect was previously detained in Athens' Psychiko district for being near the Israeli embassy, but was released due to no apparent wrongdoing.
Two additional attempts to start a wildfire on Mt. Egaleo were reported on May 14 and 15. The peak is primarily composed of brush and trees, with some cultivated areas.
The suspect will appear before a prosecutor on Monday.
In a tweet, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias condemned the incident, stating that "In all three occasions, fire brigade units prevented the flames from spreading. Today, the arsonist, a Turkish national, was arrested and confessed to his criminal actions. He will be brought to justice under the new law. As we have said many times: We'll be merciless with arsonists."
This post was last modified on May 27, 2024 4:20 pm