Vassilis Stefanakos

Investigators are concerned that the assassination last week of 57-year-old Vassilis Stefanakos in western Athens may spark a turf war between rival gangs, as one of the convictions that had landed him in prison was for running a protection racket.

Police probing the murder of the career criminal Vassilis Stefanakos, 57, whose body was found in a car in western Attica on Wednesday evening, believe the hit was a contract killing carried out by two assassins, sources indicated Thursday.

Police probing the murder of the career criminal Vassilis Stefanakos, 57, whose body was found in a car in western Attica on Wednesday evening, believe the hit was a contract killing carried out by two assassins, sources indicated Thursday.

Detectives investigating the killing of a long-time convict in western Athens on Wednesday evening believe it was a professional assassination, most likely linked to the victim's criminal activities.

Convicted crime boss Panayiotis Vlastos was given an additional 26.5-year prison sentence on Friday after a court found him guilty of arranging for a bomb to be placed outside an apartment block in Larisa, central Greece, in July 2014, resulting in a blast that caused serious damage but no injuries.

Convicted crime boss Panayiotis Vlastos faced an investigative magistrate in Athens on Tuesday over charges of allegedly running a large-scale huge extortion racket from maximum security Korydallos Prison. Vlastos is accused of managing the ring along with fellow inmates Yiannis Skaftouros and Vassilis Stefanakos.