Greek Police Arrest Alleged Crime Boss Wanted by Russia

Greek police have arrested a suspected crime boss, known as a "Vor v Zakone" or "thief in law," wanted by Russia under an Interpol red notice.

The arrest marks a significant move in Europe's intensified efforts to combat Russian-speaking organised crime groups.

The 51-year-old Georgian suspect, whose name remains undisclosed, was apprehended on Tuesday in central Athens after police received a tip-off about his travel plans to the city. The arrest occurred at a restaurant where the suspect was dining with 13 other men.

A 58-year-old man present at the dinner was also arrested for gun possession, while a third man was detained for lacking a residence permit and refusing an identity check. The remaining individuals were briefly held and subsequently released.

This crackdown comes amid heightened vigilance following a 2013 assassination of a clan leader in Moscow, which ignited a power struggle within the crime network. Europol has identified the "vory v zakone" network as a tightly structured criminal organisation originating from the Soviet Union's underworld.

Read more: Greece Mafia Crackdown