Man linked to 2022 bank safe box heist arrested in Colombia
Colombian police have arrested a 47-year-old man suspected of involvement in the robbery from five safe deposit boxes in an Athens bank in July 2022, Greek police said on Saturday.
He was arrested on January 10 in Bogota on an Interpol red notice, they added. A second suspect believed to have participated in the crime was arrested in Sweden on April 11, 2023.
Following the robbery, Greek authorities announced they had identified three members of an international crime gang believed to be behind the theft. One of the suspects was aged 42, and the other two were 46 at the time of the robbery, police had said, without specifying where the individuals are from. An international warrant for their arrest was issued in April 2023.
All three are accused of forming and joining a criminal organization and aggravated theft.
The robbery took place in the Nea Smyrni suburb. The members of the crime gang arrived in the country some days before the robbery and carried out reconnaissance for a possible target. After choosing a bank branch, they spent three days mapping the area and observing security features in and around it.
They then entered the branch wearing surgical masks one pretending to be customers. Following their plan, they entered the bank safe area undetected, broke open five safes and removed the jewelry that was inside them.
They left the country the same day, flying to a European Union country.
