Criminals caught with explosives cache
explosives
23 Aug 2021
/ 15:53
CORFU. Corfu Police is on the trail of a criminal gang following a significant discovery of explosives on Saturday night.
Following up on information received, police found and arrested two people with a large amount of explosives in their possession. Bomb disposal experts also took part in the operation.
Well-informed sources say that the police is looking into cases of ATMs being lown open and money stolen, including the recent ATM theft in Lefkimmi.
In addition to the two people arrested, police authorities are looking for three more accomplices.
Statement from the Corfu Security Police:
During an operation conducted in the last 24 hours by Corfu Police, two men of Greek nationality – 31 and 24 years old – were arrested for the offence of manufacturing and possession of explosives.
A 34-year-old Greek and two foreigners – 41 and 46 years old – are also accused and being sought.
On Saturday night (21/8), following information from the Corfu Police, an operation was conducted, during which an inflatable boat was found moored in a harbour northeast of Corfu, with four people on board. Two of the persons then disembarked and placed two pieces of hand baggage in the car of the 31-year-old arrested man, who was waiting for them at the spot.
In a search of the car, with the assistance of a police bomb disposal specialist, the two pieces of hand baggage, which were found and confiscated, included the following:
- 390 grams of gelatin dynamite
- Half a pound of standard military high explosive (TNT)
- 100 grams of TNT
- 250 grams of grated high explosive, possibly gelatin dynamite
- 2 plastic sheathings, inside of which was placed compressed high explosive, possibly gelatin dynamite, in the shape of a “tile”, used for ATM explosions
- 4 nylon packages containing 4 pieces of fuse
- 2 common detonators
- 1 air pistol with a loader and bullets
- 1 smart car key
- 6 mobile phones
From the police investigation evidence, it emerged that in the evening hours of Saturday, the two men – 34 and 24 years old, who were identified and arrested in the afternoon of 22/08 – rented an inflatable boat from an area of Corfu and with it they went to an area of Thesprotia, where they picked up the two foreign nationals. Then they went to the northeastern Corfu harbour.
In the same area of Thesprotia, with the assistance of the Igoumenitsa Police, a car was found, which corresponded to the smart key, which had been confiscated in the hand baggage in Corfu.
Inside the abovementioned car 3 detonators were found and confiscated, one of which was connected to a slow-burning fuse and it turned out that the car was stolen in 2011, following a robbery of its owner in a house in Kalamata. When found, it had fake plates of a vehicle of the same type, which is being used legally.
In searches conducted at the homes of the arrested Greeks, 4 mobile phones were found and confiscated.
The arrested persons were taken to appear before the Corfu Prosecutor, while the investigation into the abovementioned persons continues.
Well-informed sources say that the police is looking into cases of ATMs being lown open and money stolen, including the recent ATM theft in Lefkimmi.
In addition to the two people arrested, police authorities are looking for three more accomplices.
Statement from the Corfu Security Police:
During an operation conducted in the last 24 hours by Corfu Police, two men of Greek nationality – 31 and 24 years old – were arrested for the offence of manufacturing and possession of explosives.
A 34-year-old Greek and two foreigners – 41 and 46 years old – are also accused and being sought.
On Saturday night (21/8), following information from the Corfu Police, an operation was conducted, during which an inflatable boat was found moored in a harbour northeast of Corfu, with four people on board. Two of the persons then disembarked and placed two pieces of hand baggage in the car of the 31-year-old arrested man, who was waiting for them at the spot.
In a search of the car, with the assistance of a police bomb disposal specialist, the two pieces of hand baggage, which were found and confiscated, included the following:
- 390 grams of gelatin dynamite
- Half a pound of standard military high explosive (TNT)
- 100 grams of TNT
- 250 grams of grated high explosive, possibly gelatin dynamite
- 2 plastic sheathings, inside of which was placed compressed high explosive, possibly gelatin dynamite, in the shape of a “tile”, used for ATM explosions
- 4 nylon packages containing 4 pieces of fuse
- 2 common detonators
- 1 air pistol with a loader and bullets
- 1 smart car key
- 6 mobile phones
From the police investigation evidence, it emerged that in the evening hours of Saturday, the two men – 34 and 24 years old, who were identified and arrested in the afternoon of 22/08 – rented an inflatable boat from an area of Corfu and with it they went to an area of Thesprotia, where they picked up the two foreign nationals. Then they went to the northeastern Corfu harbour.
In the same area of Thesprotia, with the assistance of the Igoumenitsa Police, a car was found, which corresponded to the smart key, which had been confiscated in the hand baggage in Corfu.
Inside the abovementioned car 3 detonators were found and confiscated, one of which was connected to a slow-burning fuse and it turned out that the car was stolen in 2011, following a robbery of its owner in a house in Kalamata. When found, it had fake plates of a vehicle of the same type, which is being used legally.
In searches conducted at the homes of the arrested Greeks, 4 mobile phones were found and confiscated.
The arrested persons were taken to appear before the Corfu Prosecutor, while the investigation into the abovementioned persons continues.
