The owner of a major Greek bakery chain accused of a tax fraud worth more than 100 million euros taunted police in a handwritten note before he fled.
He predicted that officers would one day "shine my shoes."
Angelos Giannakopoulos, nicknamed "Mr. Choriatiko" after his bakery chain, left the yellow sticky note on a table in his home in Alimos, a suburb south of Athens.
It was addressed to officers of the police unit widely known as the Greek FBI.
"You've been chasing me for three years, but in the end, when Chrysochoidis is gone, you'll be shining my shoes.
See you around," the note read. It referred to Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, who oversees the police.
According to the investigation, tipped off by an informant, Mr. Giannakopoulos grabbed a suitcase and tried to escape to Dubai through Albania, a route he had used before.
He made several stops along the way to throw off pursuers.
He was arrested outside the northwestern city of Ioannina.
"Good morning, I was expecting you," he reportedly told officers. "You had five minutes. A car was coming to pick me up, and you would have lost me."
He has been jailed pending trial. Dozens of people were arrested in the case. Authorities allege that front companies running more than 200 shops evaded taxes, VAT and social security payments.
Wiretaps show panic among the alleged ringleaders after police raided the network's office on the island of Rhodes on Aug. 27.
Police seized cash and hard drives there.
Investigators say the ring's associates on Rhodes ran businesses on 25 beaches.
Police are now investigating the network of informants who allegedly warned Mr. Giannakopoulos.