Galery

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10,000 pages already comprise the voluminous case file on the activities of the two large criminal groups that the police in Crete have broken up after long months of telephone tapping.

The link between the two groups was a 37-year-old butcher from the town of Rethymno.

The first group was specialized in the blackmailing of people with financial resources and the second in the cultivation of hashish and distribution of drugs.

As revealed yesterday by Cretan police chief Brigadier General George Skandalakis, the defendants had planned to set a bomb for Sfakia mayor Pavlos Polakis but their plans had been thwarted by the office for combating organized crime that tapped their phones. With the help of an insurer, the group members had managed to learn the mayor's home address and the registration number of his car. However, the "bomber" was apprehended and the explosives found on him seized.

"Kalashnikov" machine guns

In another case the detainees riddled with "Kalashnikov" machine guns the luxury house of a famous businessman from the town of Rethymno, as the bullets passed through the walls of the house and lodged in the living room. Reports indicate that the businessman suffered damage to the amount of half a million euro because he was forced to terminate the operations of two new shops in Rethymno because of threats to him. Moreover, the criminals did not hesitate to beat up in the street a 25-year-old woman because they decided that she had reported a stolen car. Using "Kalashnikov" guns again, they tried to close the butcher shop near the shop of the 37-year-old butcher who is the main culprit. The machine gun, however, misfired and they were able to shoot only seven bullets.

The majority of the detainees have serious criminal records (drug trafficking, involvement in robberies and bombings, in "protection" gangs and in cases of rape), and have long managed the criminal activities in Crete.

As for the activities of the second criminal organization, the Greek police state that it had complete control over the drug trafficking in Crete and dozens of dealers throughout the island. The group was headed by three residents of the Mylopotamos municipality who managed the cannabis growing plantations and the import of drugs. The telephone calls make it clear that 109 transfers of large amounts of drugs to the dealers of the criminal group took place during the telephone tapping.

The criminals deceived even the agricultural insurance organization (ELGA), as a member of the criminal group received 30,000 euro in compensation for supposedly dead animals.

In addition to the serious crimes, the criminal group was involved in robberies, thefts of animals and dozens of other thefts.

The voluminous case file that was sent last night to the prosecutor in Rethymno contains the names of 96 defendants, 17 of them being the main members of the two criminal groups and the rest are considered as direct accomplices or participants with incidental activities.

As mentioned, the link between the two criminal groups is a 37-year-old butcher from the town of Rethymno. He and another 30-year-old farmer from Rethymno are considered as the "brains" of the first criminal group, the main activities of which include extortion, robberies, thefts and explosions. Three stock-farmers from villages in the Mylopotamos municipality are considered as the "brains" of the second criminal group that specialized in the cultivation of hashish. The massive police operation handcuffed 12 people, 5 of whom played a leading role.

Wanted

A 34-year-old stock-farmer from the village of Episkopi, Rethymno area, escaped the arrest. According to the police, he is one of the main members of the criminal groups and the man who was assigned to carry out the bomb attack against the mayor of Sfakia.

Meanwhile, the 41-year-old Albanian, who is believed to have fired at the house of the businessman from Rethymno, has been sent to prison. He was arrested a few months ago in the area of ​​Aghia Galini for another offence.

Within the context of the police operation carried out simultaneously in Rethymno, Heraklion, Chania and Ierapetra, the authorities seized more than 100,000 euro, drugs, precision scales, mobile phones and cars as a means of drugs transportation.

The police officers from the office combating organized crime who were involved in the investigation for months indicate for "Ethnos" newspaper that the detainees were very cautious in their actions. They thoroughly checked their target before each "blow". The content of their telephone conversations also shows that they often talked to each other secretly and sometimes openly, offending the police if they were tapping them.