Carbines, pistols, knives, and hammers were among the items seized by police authorities following extensive investigations into members of a criminal organization involved in hooligan violence and drug trafficking inside sports facilities in Thessaloniki. A total of 20 people were arrested during the operation, 15 of whom are alleged members of the criminal organization, while the case file includes a total of 51 individuals. The charges they face include, among others, forming and participating in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, aggravated assault, robbery, property damage, harboring a criminal, and negligent supervision of a minor.
Four of the 20 arrested are alleged to have collaborated with or benefited from the criminal organization. A mother of a minor was also arrested for negligent supervision of her child. The case file also includes a currently incarcerated individual identified as a core member, while three additional key members — including the alleged ringleader — have been identified and are still being sought.
On the morning of Monday, June 29, a coordinated police operation was carried out across areas of Thessaloniki, Chalkidiki, and Mykonos. The operation was conducted by officers from the Organized Sports Violence Unit in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement, Crimes Against Life and Property, Counter-Trafficking, Financial Crimes, Intelligence and Special Operations, and Administrative Support divisions of the Organized Crime Sub-Directorate of Northern Greece, as well as the Intelligence and Special Operations Sub-Directorate of the Organized Crime Directorate, the Chalkidiki Police Directorate, and the Mykonos Police Sub-Directorate.
Thessaloniki: How the criminal organization operated
According to the findings of the investigation, organized supporters of a Thessaloniki sports club had formed and joined a criminal organization with a hierarchical structure and ongoing activity dating back to at least August 2021. As part of their criminal activity, they carried out organized attacks against rival fans, posted edited video footage of the attacks on social media to project and consolidate their dominance, and simultaneously engaged in drug trafficking.
The following incidents have been solved so far:
– An attack on a rival fan that took place on February 16, 2026, in central Thessaloniki, in which a group of individuals on motorcycles and in a car tracked down a motorcycle carrying two people, followed it, and attempted to cause bodily harm to the riders.
– A violent attack using hammers carried out on March 6, 2026, against a rival fan, during which his motorcycle was also stolen and extensively damaged.
– An incident of harboring a criminal connected to the murder of a rival fan, which took place on March 12, 2026.
– An organized attack against members of the same club’s fan base in the Kalamaria area, triggered by internal disputes over leadership of the supporters’ group.
– Furthermore, analysis of digital data and social media revealed the organization’s members were involved in 46 additional cases of hooligan violence that had never been reported to the authorities.
– In addition, 30 cases of drug possession and trafficking during 8 sporting events were confirmed, along with 88 cases of drug trafficking across the wider Thessaloniki area.
The following items were found and seized in total during body searches and searches of homes, vehicles, and other locations belonging to members of the criminal organization:
– One semi-automatic pistol with two magazines,
– Two air pistols,
– 48 cartridges of various calibers,
– One carbine,
– 10 folding knives,
– One marine flare,
– Cannabis totaling 1,682.39 grams,
– Heroin totaling 41.1 grams,
– Cocaine totaling 1.5 grams,
– Three hand-rolled cannabis cigarettes,
– 8 narcotic tablets,
– 2 vehicles,
– €8,610 in cash, and
– 6 precision scales.
The arrested individuals were brought before the competent prosecutor’s office, while the investigation into the full extent of their criminal activity is ongoing.
