NEWS

Police special guard held for migrant muggings

A 31-year-old police special guard believed to be behind a series of armed muggings on immigrants in the run-down central Athens district of Aghios Panteleimonas was being questioned on Friday.

The officer was arrested on Thursday after allegedly stealing 1,200 euros at gunpoint from an Iranian national. Police also detained the officer’s suspected accomplice, a 29-year-old employee of a security firm. The latter is believed to be behind two more armed muggings on immigrants in the area, one in September when he is reported to have robbed an Algerian national of 250 euros and another last week when he is said to have forced a Bangladeshi national into handing over his bank ATM card which he is alleged to have used to draw 1,000 euros from the migrant’s account.

Police traced the 31-year-old and his alleged accomplice after the Iranian victim reported the attack on him and gave them a description of the two men and the motorcycle on which they are are said to have fled after the mugging.

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