Significant developments are emerging in the case of the murder of Vagia Nestora, who lost her life following an arson attack using gas canisters on the apartment building where she lived with her daughter, Afroditi Nestora, in Thessaloniki. Within just nine days, the Counter-Terrorism Unit managed to track down the alleged perpetrators, conducting operations in Thessaloniki and Chania that led to the arrest of two young men and a 26-year-old woman. Security camera footage is reported to have played a pivotal role in advancing the investigation, as it captured the movements of those involved both before and after the attack, according to MEGA.
Read also: Afroditi Nestora after her mother’s funeral: “Terrorism can never be tolerated” — “My family’s wish is for the perpetrators to receive a fair trial”
Where the investigation into Vagia Nestora’s murder led
As revealed during MEGA’s main evening news bulletin, the investigation led police to an apartment on Sofocleous Street, a short distance from the building where the arson attack took place. According to evidence gathered by authorities, the apartment was used as a base of operations by the perpetrators, who reportedly walked from there to the scene of the attack and returned immediately after carrying out their plan.
According to information reported by MEGA, the 29-year-old is believed to be the individual captured on security cameras placing the incendiary device at the entrance of the apartment building. Together with the 26-year-old woman, who is alleged to have actively participated in the attack, they formed the operational pair that, according to the investigation, carried out the placement of the device. A 24-year-old man was also arrested — the owner of the apartment that was used as a hideout following the attack.
Security cameras captured their every move
The video footage available to authorities is considered highly significant to the progress of the case. According to the related report, the two main suspects are seen moving toward the apartment building while carrying umbrellas — apparently in an attempt to obstruct their identification by security cameras.
However, after completing the attack, they were recorded returning to the apartment on Papadiamanti Street, where, according to the same sources, their facial features were captured with far greater clarity. This footage is reported to have been instrumental in identifying the suspects and advancing the police investigation.
The suspects’ profiles and the escape plan
Reports indicate that the 29-year-old is considered highly active in the anarchist milieu and participates in the “Thessaloniki Anarchist Council.” He was detained in 2015 for involvement in riots and had been brought in for questioning on at least one further occasion in 2026. According to MEGA, the 26-year-old woman — who was ultimately located at a friend’s home in Chania — had been arrested in 2022 as a member of the organization “Anarchist Action.” According to the information presented, she had been charged in connection with 28 arson attacks dating back to 2016. Her arrest had followed a gas canister attack on the entrance of the Foundation for National and Religious Reflection, an incident for which she had claimed responsibility; she was subsequently released in August of the same year under restrictive conditions.
The 24-year-old, owner of the apartment where the suspects allegedly took refuge after the attack, is also reported by authorities to move within the same circles. Particularly noteworthy is the information suggesting that once the investigation zeroed in on the three suspects, police moved swiftly to make the arrests after indications emerged that they were planning to leave Thessaloniki. According to MEGA, the day after the attack, the 29-year-old drove the 26-year-old to the airport so she could travel to Chania, while he himself went to work as usual at a confectionery in Thessaloniki. He had already requested time off from work for the following days, as he was reportedly planning to leave for a summer holiday.
The Counter-Terrorism Unit’s investigation is ongoing, as authorities work to determine whether the attack was carried out by a broader network potentially linked to other arson attacks that have previously come to the attention of law enforcement in Thessaloniki.
