The separation and claim of protection fiefs in Attica, the debts and pending transactions related to money laundering through various companies, the disputes over the trafficking of drugs, contraband fuel and cigarettes, the punishment of Police informers, the revenge for other murders, fears of retaliatory strikes from rival gangs and “cleansing” of competitors have been the motivations for more than 50 murders that have occurred in the last 35 years in our country, of which 40 after 2005.
The only period when the guns fell silent was between 2009 and 2017, due to the then extensive investigation by the Hellenic Police. which had put under the “microscope” about 200 members of circuits that preyed on the night.
In the last six years, however, the most murderous phase of the domestic mafia “civil war” has been unfolding, with approximately four death contracts being “signed” each year, but also with the parallel action of gangs from Albania and former Eastern bloc countries.
The “syndicate of executioners”, the “Mafia of Ilioupoli”, the “Gang of Haidari”, the “Circle of Piraeus” are just some of the criminal organizations that, with the activation of foreigners, are now carrying out attacks a la… Mexico against their opponents in the field of illegality.
For its part, EL.AS. has proceeded with a complete mapping of the 500 “godfathers” who in the last 20 years are said to have been involved, in one way or another, in 20 gangs covering the whole of Attica.
Most of those involved in the circuits, however, do not exceed 40-50 years of life, since during their bloody action they come with mathematical precision against opposing interests that lead to their extermination and their almost simultaneous replacement in the field of organized crime.
A typical example of the above, moreover, is the murder six days ago with almost 100 bullets of the 44-year-old criminal Vangelis Zampounis outside a gas station owned by him in Neos Kosmos.
Despite the detailed record and the bloodbath of three decades, the prosecuting authorities have proceeded to solve very few murders (less than 10%). However, the recent elucidation of the two death contracts with victims of two criminals who were killed by hooded raiders in the period 2022-2023 in Skourta Boiotia and Korydallos, which are attributed to members of the Russian mafia in Greece – which sells protection to cigarette smugglers -, opens a new chapter in the investigations of the “teething” of the domestic mafia.
After all, in most cases the experienced police officers of Attica Security who take over the relevant cases know the physical and moral perpetrators of these murders, but the omerta that prevails in the ranks of the warring gangs makes their work difficult.
They also know that more and more often, Greek and foreign prisoners, members of the Albanian mafia or even Greek “petty criminals” who are recruited in prisons, as well as other executioners from… next door, with the main goal of not being noticed, are used for the execution teams. from the beginning.
In fact, in two or three murderous ambushes the involvement of sworn police officers has been recorded.
Looking back in time, in the 90s, the first deadly domestic criminal “civil war” developed in three phases, with the initial victims being active thugs selling protection in shops in the center of Athens and the southern suburbs.
In this climate, members of the so-called “hitman’s syndicate” appeared who undertook contract killings, but whose victims included unsuspecting nightclub owners or driving school owners.
This was followed, in the period 1997-2001, by the war of the so-called “Mafia of Ilioupoli”, with murders of criminals in the streets of Poseidonos Avenue or in the courts of the former Evelpidon School and car bombings.
From the two years 2000-2001 and the murder of one of the leaders of the “syndicate of the executioners” in Schinias, the gangs of the western suburbs who were active, apart from extortion, in the smuggling of fuel and cigarettes, began to escalate their activity, with the reported assistance of police and port guards, going so far as to organize even blowing up ships.
There was, until 2009, an impressive conflict of mutual annihilation for the control of areas of Attica, which extended to Corinthia.
During that time, revenge killings prevailed, bloody attacks aimed at “blurring” police investigations, but also deadly competition between criminals to outdo each other in this peculiar game of death.
The cycle of these murders was closed with the death contract against a 36-year-old businessman on Veikou Avenue in Galatsi.
After this attack there was an eight-year silence, with three possible causes.
Firstly, in February 2011 from EL.AS. and the EYP filed a case file for the action of 217 criminals who allegedly participated in eight criminal organizations, among them eight police officers. Secondly, at that time many leading figures of the Greek mafia were in prison.
Third, after the above-mentioned assassination, it is estimated that an “emanation center” of many of the previous attacks was deactivated.
The blood cycle, however, was to be reopened in May 2017 with the murder of a 47-year-old criminal in Glyka Nera.
What is remarkable, in fact, is that in the infamous case file of 2011, with the list of 217 criminal charges, it was mentioned that a plan to kill him had been avoided by the police investigations. In the period 2017-2022, when at least 18 murderous attacks were recorded, important “players” of the Greek night were released from prison, while conflicts over fuel smuggling intensified.
At the same time, and especially after the murder of a former policeman in Paiana, a large protection ring of “pink” studios, brothels and clubs began to emerge, with revenues estimated at 1 million euros per month and the involvement of criminals and high-ranking police officers (even the subletting of the Parliament cafe was planned).
The end of this ring and the claim of proceeds from illegal activities marked new deadly conflicts between former accomplices, following an assassination attempt in Piraeus in 2018, while new death contracts were also ordered.
In the last two years, four murderous attacks followed with a barrage of shots by hooded men in Viotia, Gerakas, Korydallos and finally in Neos Kosmos.
These hits are attributed to members of the Russian mafia working with Greek “godfathers” to sell protection in the area of cigarette smuggling, as well as to Greek thugs in retaliation for previous attacks or in the context of the fuel smuggling dispute.
