A 22-year-old Bulgarian and a 42-year-old Albanian have been handcuffed by the Greek in Athens, as members of a gang that systematically committed armed robberies in bank branches and gambling shops in different areas of Attica. 

According to the police, the defendants had created a criminal organization since September 2021, which carried out the armed robberies. 

As for how they committed the robberies, the police informed that a member forced his way into the venue with his facial features hidden by a hat or wig, sunglasses and a surgical mask. 

Immediately afterwards, he immobilized the employees of the respective store with the threat of a pistol and after removing the money from the cash register, he forced the manager to open the security door, from where he escaped. 

Nearby and to avoid arousing suspicion, he changed the clothes he wore during each robbery and usually wore a fluorescent vest that referred to a City Hall employee. The robber's safe escape from the scene of the robbery was ensured by his accomplices who were waiting for him nearby. 

At the same time, the collaborators would assume the role of firemen, notifying the robber of a possible movement of police forces to the scene. 

From the controls carried out during the operation, the following were seized: An orange vest with the sign "green projects" which referred to the vest of a Municipality employee, clothes worn by the defendants during the robberies, a fake identity card of a foreign citizen, a motorcycle used as a means of escape from the places where the robberies were committed, a package with 1.5 grams of cannabis, 3 mobile phones and the amount of 235 EUR. 

Preliminary investigations of the Property Crimes Department revealed 11 cases of robberies in Nea Smyrni, Neo Kosmos, Dafni, Pagrati, Petralona and Mosçato, of which 8 involved bank branches and 3 involved gambling shops. 

According to the police, the total amount benefited by the members of the criminal organization amounts to EUR 76,548, while the 42-year-old has been arrested in the past for violating drug laws, forgery and escaping from prison. 

On his part, the 22-year-old Bulgarian was arrested for accepting and distributing the products of the criminal offense. 

However, the case of the two arrested persons has been sent to the Athens Criminal Prosecutor's Office, while the police investigations into the case continue.