One of the most chilling crimes in recent years in Thessaloniki appears to have been solved by officers from the Northern Greece Organized Crime Unit, four years after the murder of a foreign man whose dismembered body was discovered in the sea in June 2022.
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Thessaloniki: End to thriller of man found dismembered at sea, one arrest made
After months of extremely difficult investigation, police managed to piece together the case and identify four compatriots of the victim as the alleged perpetrators of the brutal murder. On Wednesday morning (27/5), one of them was arrested in Thessaloniki, while the other three are believed to have fled the country immediately after the crime to avoid arrest.
How they traced the suspects
The case resolution is considered particularly significant, as police had to assemble a complex puzzle of evidence. The investigation involved the Bureau of Crimes Against Life and Personal Freedom, the Northern Greece Criminological Research Unit, and Coast Guard personnel.
Forensic findings, witness testimonies, video footage analysis, telephone communication data, and special investigative procedures conducted during the investigation played decisive roles.
The personal vendetta that led to murder
According to evidence gathered by authorities, the case appears to have begun two years before the murder. The victim had reportedly been targeted by a compatriot since 2020 due to personal disputes.
The investigation revealed that multiple complaints had been filed against him, and he had been attacked by the specific man along with five other individuals. After these incidents, the man left Thessaloniki and relocated to another area.
The kidnapping and murder
When he returned to the city in June 2022, the alleged perpetrators reportedly put their plan into action. According to the police investigation, the accused kidnapped the victim and transported him to a location where they subsequently murdered him.
Immediately afterward, to eliminate any trace of the crime, they took a small boat from the area and transported the body to sea. Using weights, they abandoned it in the water, believing it would never be found. However, the body was discovered a few days later in a marine area of Thessaloniki, shocking authorities and opening a years-long cycle of investigations.
Connected to another kidnapping
Police also determined that three of the involved individuals had participated in another kidnapping case of their compatriot in 2020. This specific case, according to Greek Police, is directly connected to the murder and constituted another crucial piece of the puzzle that led to the complete resolution of the homicide.
What was found on the arrested suspect
During searches conducted at the arrested man’s home and workplace, police discovered and confiscated a fake driver’s license, seven knives, and a folding knife. A separate case was filed against him for illegal weapon possession and document forgery.
The arrested individual was brought before the competent prosecutorial authority and subsequently referred to an investigator, while investigations continue to locate the remaining three accused.
