Police have dismantled a violent criminal gang rooted in organised sports hooliganism, arresting 17 people on charges of drug trafficking and armed robbery following coordinated raids across Thessaloniki and the island of Mykonos.
The operation, led by the Sub-directorate for Combating Organised Crime of Northern Greece, identified 15 of those detained as core members of the gang, drawn from hardcore supporters of a prominent northern Greek football club.
Among those caught were a minor and a suspected member working a seasonal summer job in Mykonos.
The alleged ringleader, however, slipped the net, having recently relocated to Germany for work. Police said the fugitive is no stranger to investigators — he previously faced charges of harbouring a criminal linked to the March 2026 stabbing murder of 20-year-old Kleomenis in Thessaloniki's Kalamaria district.
Investigators say the gang has operated for roughly 18 months, hunting down and assaulting rival fans, robbing victims at will and keeping their belongings as "trophies."
Beyond the football violence, the syndicate ran a lucrative narcotics operation to bankroll itself.
Searches of properties linked to the group turned up a substantial weapons cache, including a 9mm handgun, an air pistol, a shotgun, ammunition and multiple knives.
The suspects remain in custody pending appearances before a local magistrate, as police continue the hunt for the gang's missing leader.