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Fugitive terrorist Nikos Maziotis was arrested in the central Monastiraki neighbourhood in Athens today at noon, after a bloody clash with the police. The exchange of gunfire wounded him, one policeman and two tourists, one German and one Australian, who fortunately are out of danger.

The detained terrorist has been taken to "Evangelismos" hospital where he will undergo an operation under tight security measures.

According to the initial information, shortly after 12 noon today, Nikos Maziotis, who was followed by officers from the department for combating terrorism, had entered a shop for tourist goods located at the intersection of "Ermou" Street and "Athinas" Street to buy backpacks. The terrorist was wearing a wig.

The saleswoman noticed that he had a gun and, when Maziotis left the shop, she notified the police about "a suspicious armed man." The police had immediately arrived on the spot and found Maziotis who, having realized that they had discovered him, opened fire on them, and then in the street that is usually full of people at that time. The police opened fire too and Maziotis tried to get into a taxi but failed. The police stopped the taxi at the scene and arrested the terrorist who was taken to hospital with a serious wound in the right shoulder.

Involvement of Nikos Maziotis in six robberies

The data collected by the Greek police over time indicate that Nikos Maziotis has been involved in six robberies.

These include armed attacks carried out in the period from May 2012 to March 2014, the plunder of which is estimated at 15 million euro in total. The latest robbery was committed in a Piraeus Bank branch in Klitoria village, Achaia region, on 10 March this year. The police had lost track of Maziotis since the beginning of July 2012.

The disappearance of Nikos Maziotis and Panagiota Roupa

Let us recall that, in April 2010, the police had detained Nikos Maziotis, Panagiota Roupa, Vangelis Stathopoulos, Christoforos Kortesis, Sarandis Nikitopoulos and Konstantinos Gournas as suspected of being involved in the terrorist organisation "Revolutionary Struggle".

In October 2011 Maziotis and Roupa were released from prison after the expiry of the 18-month mandatory arrest.

Under the restrictive measures imposed on them, they were required to appear at the police station in Exarcheia every 1st, 15th and 20th of the month.

The police lost track of Nikos Maziotis on 15 June 2012, when he appeared at the station for the last time. Panagiota Roupa disappeared three days later, on 18 June.