Police raid Roma settlement, make five arrests
Five people were arrested and another 150 were taken into custody for questioning on Tuesday following a large-scale raid that started in the early hours of the day on a Roma settlement and encampment in Zefyri, northwest of Athens, which has been the subject of frequent police raids in the past.
Tuesday’s raid came after the fatal shooting on Monday at the central Athens court complex of a man accused of killing the son of a woman who walked into the courthouse armed with a gun and fired it at the suspect, killing him instantly and wounding a bystander. The incident is believed to have been the result of a blood feud between Roma families in the particular part of Zefyri where the raid was conducted, with authorities expressing concerns that the killing on Monday could lead to further acts of retribution between warring clans.
Tuesday’s raid saw dozens of police officers searching homes for illegal firearms, drugs and other contraband, as well as for persons known to reside in the area who are wanted on arrest warrants.
An inquiry was also continuing on Tuesday into how the Roma woman was able to get a gun past the Evelpidon Court’s metal detector and security guards.
