Police search homes for link to fugitive Xeros
Police searched the homes of self-styled anarchists and relatives of fugitive November 17 member Christodoulos Xeros in Athens and Thessaloniki on Tuesday as the US State Department urged the Greek government to catch the terrorist group’s gunman as quickly as possible.
Anti-terrorism squad officers searched eight houses in Athens, leading to the arrest of a man for illegally possessing a weapon. The suspect, identified just by his initials G.K., is known to police as he was arrested in 2005 when equipment was stolen from riot police in front of PASOK’s headquarters. Police said they found a handgun at his apartment.
Nothing was found during the searches of other homes, some of which belonged to people who have been linked with urban guerrilla groups in the past.
In Thessaloniki, officers searched the properties of Xeros’s relatives and other anti-establishment activists. The homes of Xeros’s sister, brother and nephew were searched but nothing was found. A 47-year-old self-styled anarchist was arrested at another address for possession of drugs.
Later in the day, a State Department official expressed Washington’s concern about Xeros’s disappearance. “We are deeply concerned that convicted terrorist Christodoulos Xeros, a central member of the 17 November terrorist organization that killed five US mission employees, remains at large and is now allegedly issuing renewed calls for violence,” he said. “We remain engaged with Greek officials concerning this case. We continue to call on the Greek Government to locate Xeros and return him to prison.”
