ATHENS – The Hellenic Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of 32 suspected members of three separate gangs involved in armed robberies and drug dealing in various areas of Attica, during an operation on a student hall of residence in the Zografou campus on Tuesday. Charges have been drawn up against 52 persons in total.

According to a press conference, the gangs were using the hall of residence as their base and are accused of committing at least 29 robberies and thefts, in addition to numerous drug dealing transactions. They not only controlled the entrance into the hall of residence but had also threatened one student with a weapon and committed a number of thefts from students.

Nine suspects lived permanently on the premises, while another 12 stayed there occasionally, with the gangs operating there since 2019.

Regarding the 30-year-old Albanian shot during on Tuesday, police said that he had been on his way back from the Zografou police station, where he had gone before the operation because a member of his family had been arrested, where he had threatened and abused police. As he returned to the campus, he saw a 35-year-old police woman departing from the scene because she was feeling unwell and attacked her with a screwdriver, inflicting injuries. The police woman then took out her service revolver and shot him.

Two of the suspects under arrest are believed to belong to a gang that carried out robberies and sexually assaulted women in the southern suburbs in 2011.

Regarding the 23-year-old police cadet arrested on a charge of passing information on to the suspects about imminent police raids, police said she had originally served at the Zografou police station.

In raids on the living spaces, stores and storage areas used by the suspects, police uncovered evidence that included cars, guns and ammunition, knives, clubs, paraphernalia and equipment for growing and trading in drugs, as well as quantities of narcotics and cash.

The police said that their investigation is continuing to uncover the full range of the suspects’ criminal activities and a search has been launched for the other members of the gangs, while those under arrest will be taken before a public prosecutor.