Greek Police Bust Car Theft and Forgery Gang in Attica

Greek police have dismantled an organized criminal gang responsible for stealing vehicles across Attica, altering their identifying details and reselling them to unsuspecting buyers.

Officers from the Sub-Directorate for Crime Investigation and Detection of Western Attica carried out a coordinated police operation on Tuesday, December 17, during which three members of the organization, aged 36, 28 and 26, were arrested. A further 20 individuals have been included in the case file.

The suspects face charges, on a case-by-case basis, including participation in a criminal organization, aggravated theft, forgery and fraud on a continuous basis, handling and trafficking of stolen goods, as well as violations of weapons and narcotics laws.

In addition, a 28-year-old man was also arrested during the operation for trafficking raw cannabis.

According to the Hellenic Police (ELAS), the investigation revealed that the group had formed a structured criminal organization active since at least late 2022. Its aim was to carry out professional and repeated vehicle thefts in Attica, then alter the vehicles’ registration details in order to sell them on the black market as legitimate to unsuspecting citizens.

Specifically, members of the gang purchased heavily damaged vehicles or cars with serious mechanical problems at very low prices, making repairs uneconomical for their owners. The transfers of these vehicles were carried out to members of the group who did not belong to the operational arm.

They then mechanically removed the engraved parts bearing the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) while retaining the registration documents and official licence plates of these damaged cars.

Afterwards, the gang’s “operational team,” once informed of the make, model and colour of the purchased damaged vehicle, searched across Attica for a matching car. When they located one, they stole it and transported it to workshops run by the organization.

There, they removed the original VIN-bearing sections from the stolen vehicles and welded on the corresponding parts from the damaged vehicles. In this way, the stolen cars were effectively “legalised,” as they carried the identification features of legitimately acquired wrecked vehicles and were ready for resale.

Through the preliminary investigation, police solved 25 cases of vehicle theft and alteration linked to the gang.

During the operation, officers seized:

• 12 altered vehicles ready for sale,

• two stolen car engines,

• eight mobile phones,

• an air pistol, and

• numerous vehicle transfer declarations.

Additionally, at the home and business premises of a 28-year-old suspect, police found and seized 708 grams of raw cannabis and an electronic precision scale.

All those arrested were brought before the competent public prosecutor, while investigations continue to fully determine the scope of the group’s criminal activity.