Crime prevention

The Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry has signed a €10 million contract to upgrade the ENGAGE information system, part of the AIGIS program to enhance real-time monitoring of natural disasters and improve communication between firefighting and civil protection forces. 

Nearly 600 police officers in England and Wales were sacked in the year to March 2024, figures showed on Tuesday, as police chiefs battle to restore public confidence after a string of scandals.

The sackings, a 50 percent rise on the 394 dismissed the previous year, include 74 officers kicked out of policing for sexual offenses and misconduct.

A police officers association says it is planning legal action after names and details of hundreds of officers from a new elite crime-fighting agency were published on the internet.

Dubbed the "Greek FBI," the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE) was launched Thursday to tackle organized crime activities including contract killings, fuel smuggling and money laundering.

Authorities are investigating a vehicle containing explosives discovered in Omonia Square in downtown Athens.

Counter-terrorism officers are at the scene, and traffic has been suspended on Socrates Street due to the ongoing investigation.

In Ruse and the surrounding region, a specialized operation aimed at curbing vote-buying is currently underway, as announced by the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

A large-scale police operation took place on Wednesday morning in western Attica as part of a crackdown on crime in the wider region.

Authorities reported the arrest of six individuals during the operation, which involved the seizure of firearms, more than 250 9mm rounds, and mobile phones.

A man from Bangladesh was found dead in a police cell in central Athens on Tuesday morning.

Police said the 29-year old man was found hanged in the police station of Omonoia by the officers who came in for work on Tuesday. He had been detained on Monday night for causing damage to a police car and was kept in an area together with 11 other prisoners.

A dramatic heist took place in the port town of Lavrio, in southeastern Attica, on Thursday, as four armed robbers ambushed a cash delivery van and made off with nearly 1 million euros.

According to security staff, the suspects were dressed in white overalls and surgical masks and had been waiting outside a toy store for the van.

A 27-year-old man accused of transporting a bag full of grenades surrendered to authorities on Wednesday in Piraeus, following an incident that occurred on Saturday morning in Keratsini.

The man was riding a motorcycle with another person when he ignored police orders to stop, leading to a pursuit. 

A 42-year-old father of four who became embroiled in a bar fight in northeastern Greece on the night of August 15 died of his injuries on Tuesday, sparking fears of a feud in the small border town of Feres.