NEWS
Police follow blood trail to Dubai
Authorities believe crime boss ordered gangland shooting to tighten grip on Athens criminal circuits
Police follow blood trail to Dubai
Elvira Krithari
28.04.2025 • 07:50

Greek authorities are zeroing in on a Georgian-born crime boss allegedly linked to the assassination of Giorgos Moschouris, a powerful figure in Greece’s underworld, killed last Thursday in the suburb of Halandri.

Known by the aliases “Entik” and “Foni” (Voice), the 50-year-old fugitive reportedly heads a cigarette-smuggling ring of ethnic Russians from the former Soviet Union. Sources say he has extended his influence into the country’s night economy – and that he had placed a bounty on Moschouris, seeking his elimination amid a ruthless battle for supremacy in the Greek Mafia.

The killing of Moschouris, also known as “Thamnakias,” marks another violent reshuffling of the criminal landscape. Investigators believe that Entik, currently residing in Dubai under house arrest conditions, may have masterminded the hit. Greece has renewed efforts to seek his extradition, though no agreement has yet been reached.

Authorities are weighing two scenarios: Either Entik’s group directly ordered the killing, or rival circles around convicted mob boss Panagiotis Vlastos orchestrated it. Tensions between Moschouris and Vlastos had flared over control of the lucrative protection rackets following the assassination of rival gang leader Vangelis Zambounis.

The attack against Moschouris was brazen. Gunmen armed with Kalashnikov rifles ambushed him outside a medical center on Papagou Street. Witnesses reported a getaway involving a Nissan – later burned –and a second car hidden nearby.

This was not the first time an attempt had been made on Moschouris’ life – he had previously been wounded in 2020. Police files describe him as a key player in the network of “night enforcers,” involved in extortion, contract killings, and racketeering operations in Athens’ nightlife scene.

Entik’s organization, dubbed the “Cigarette Lords,” is believed to control large swaths of the tobacco smuggling trade and provide protection to bars and hotels. His name had surfaced in the past in connection to at least three high-profile gangland killings.

The Greek underworld has been racked by violence since 2017, with more than 24 murders tied to shifting alliances among crime syndicates. Authorities hope the latest investigation will bring them closer to dismantling one of the most resilient factions of organized crime in the country.

https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1268036/police-follow-blood-trail-to-dubai/