“Joseph” or “Short”chief executive of Gate 7, the 27-year-old “OMLE”, manager of a well-known trapper and marked “leader” of the Western Suburbs association, a 36-year-old hooligan known by the nickname “Romanos”, and two 31-year-old men with the nicknames “Shark” and “Kokos” respectively, gave the attack orders to the “strike teams”relayed instructions via social media, while having a physical presence in Rentis and other incidents, guiding attackers against police forces.
These five are referred to as the moral perpetrators of the murder of the police officer Giorgos Lyggeridis, and is among the 64 organized fans, who were arrested on Monday, in the context of the operations of the Sub-Directorate for Combating Violence in Sports Fields, with the aim of … “dismantling” HOOLIGAN S.A., the “anonymous company undertaking violence projects and recruitment pool criminal groups”. The total of 165 defendants are allegedly involved, in addition to the murder of the 31-year-old police officer, in at least 10 incidents of violence and attacks at sports meetings.
“Chief” with 5,000 euros in his pockets
The 40-year-old “Iosif” or “Kontos”, chief executive of Olympiakos’ Gate 7, seems to have been the main organizer of the attacks against the police forces and the murder of 31-year-old Giorgos Lyggeridis. The attack on the closed Melina Mercouri gym in Rentis on December 7, 2023, was planned “retaliation” for what had developed four days earlier in Volos with the police forces. “Let’s go clean them, finish them off” was the slogan that the “chief” said, referring to the policemen who would be in Rentis. “Iosif” or “Kontos”, was arrested on Sunday in Ioannina and had 4 mobile phones and 5,000 euros on him, with the police speculating that he was trying to escape abroad.
The 27-year-old “OMLE”, manager of a well-known trapper and marked “leader” of the Western Suburbs association, accused in at least 4 indictments, is the one who transmitted the attack orders and brought reinforcements. He was one of the “key-keepers” of the warehouse from which he allegedly transported armaments and naval flares. In fact, he allegedly was the one who gave the fatal flare to the 18-year-old, who confessed to hitting the unfortunate policeman.
A 36-year-old with the nickname “Romanos”, and two 31-year-olds with the nicknames “Shark” and “Kokos” respectively, they in turn gave the attack orders to the “strike teams”, relayed instructions via social media, and were physically present at Rentis and other incidents guiding the attackers against the police forces. In April 2024, the “Romanian” was arrested with two other people, after a fight between Olympiakos fans, at the “G. Karaiskakis” stadium. Also known to the authorities was “Kokos”, who had been arrested as a member of the Golden Dawn criminal organization, for an attack on a Pakistani barber shop in Metamorfosi in 2012 and for three more racist attacks that had occurred in the same year. He was in possession of one of the two pistols, which were located during the arrest operations.
Twenty more arrested constituted the basic executive “core”, the roaming “army” for the occurrence of incidents and attacks, while another 40 were the “collaborators” with extraordinary participations, in order to give numerical superiority to the plan of actions.
DNA on burnt clothes
DNA, which links those arrested to the murderous attack of last December, was even found on the clothes that some of the natural perpetrators had tried to burn, in the toilets of the “Melina Merkouri” stadium where they found refuge. Important evidence has emerged from the declassification of communications and suspect attachments, as well as from the depositions of organized supporters who have submitted requests to be included in the witness protection program. Clothing that was found in the context of the operations, is said to be captured in the video footage that the authorities have, from inside the closed Gym, on the night of the attack. A total of 58 searches were carried out at homes and 15 at vehicles, during which two pistols, naval flares, knives, collapsible globes, drugs, clothing, digital media and other items were seized.
An 18-year-old organized fan had already been arrested for the Rentis case, who had confessed that he was the one who fired the naval flare fatally striking the unfortunate policeman. Traces of gunpowder were found on him, while fingerprints and genetic material of his 16-year-old brother were found on the launcher of the fatal flare. The minor is among the people arrested during yesterday’s operations.
Episodes… 16 years back
“Leading Members of Sports Associations”. This is how police describe most of the arrested people who were brought to the General Police Directorate of Attica on Monday. As can be seen from their mapping, they are involved in dozens of incidents and attacks, dating back even… 16 years. These individuals appear to recruit youths from fan associations, and as roving “armies” engage in incidents at stadiums, attacks on police officers and other delinquent acts. From there, the recruits are “screened” for their potential to commit more serious crimes and join Greek Mafia gangs.
According to police sources, the leaders, the organizers, the deputy leaders, the group leaders, the transmitters of the actions, the storekeepers of arms and the people who made up the strike groups have been arrested. These are persons included in the list of 200 people, who allegedly supply five different criminal organizations, fans of the same number of football teams. Each of them consists of about 40 people.
“The file that was compiled included testimonies, videos and other findings that demonstrated the existence of a criminal organization behind the attack, while confirming the association of sports violence with organized crime,” noted the Chief of the Greek Police, Lieutenant General Dimitrios Mallios, in a statement.
Arsons, attacks, fights, “dates” of death
The list of cases, in which the arrested are allegedly involved, includes incidents of threats and attacks against referees and journalists (PSAT) over a decade. Among them, are the threats received by the referee Tasos Papapetrou, who was the referee in the Olympiacos Volos-Olympiakos match, in which the recent incidents and the incendiary device in the shop of the referee Andreas Gamaris last November were recorded.
What happened at the closed Melina Merkouri gym on December 7, 2023, according to competent officers, was planned “retaliation” for what had developed four days earlier in Volos with the police forces. Actions concerning the activity of the criminal organization have been recorded in Ioannina, Volos, Lamia, Attiki, Malakasa, Ilion, New Philadelphia, Crete, Tripoli.
“To vindicate my child’s memory”
“It was a difficult day emotionally, a lot can be done, there are laws. It’s a justification, a principle, my justification, of course, whatever happens, it’s not going to happen,” he declared with a trembling voice and tears in his eyes, the father of Giorgos Lyggeridis, a few hours after the first arrests of the moral perpetrators of his son’s murder. Earlier, at an event of the Panhellenic Federation of Police Officers on sports violence, he said:
“We’re waiting for justice to do what’s right. Today they started, from what we’ve learned. My child’s memory must be vindicated. The hero. My son. For all of Greece, for all the police. He is my new family, all my children in here are my son. I hugged them all one by one. They give me courage, they keep me upright”. The Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, was also present at the event and assured the family that they will not be alone and that “Georgos symbolizes how abhorrent violence is in any society”.
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