A motorcyclist was shot and killed while waiting at a traffic light on a busy street in Tavros, southern Athens, on Saturday in what police described as being a mob-style hit.

The victim, identified as Gerasimos Mavrakis, was killed instantly after being shot five times by one of the two men who pulled up next to him on a motorcycle at around 2 a.m.

Police said the passenger on the motorcycle used a nine-millimeter handgun in the attack against Mavrakis, aged 39, before the pair sped off.

Authorities, who found seven bullet casings at the murder site, have launched an investigation into the incident.

Police sources said the attack is likely to be related to a “settlement of differences” between criminal gangs.