One of the three Turkish nationals wanted in connection with Tuesday’s armed attack on Greek intelligence (EYP) agents near Thessaloniki has been arrested in a mountain village in the northeastern regional unit of of Rhodope.
The suspect was apprehended at dawn during a coordinated raid carried out by the police and counterterrorism officers, who found him in a residence believed to have served as a temporary hideout.
According to police sources, the man arrested is identified as the driver of the gray Toyota SUV with Turkish license plates used by the attackers. He is also believed to have opened fire during the ambush.
Investigators have linked the suspects to the notorious Turkish gang known as the “Daltons.” Intelligence and police services had been following leads pointing to the region of Thrace, where efforts to track the trio had intensified in recent days.
The vehicle used in the attack was reportedly registered to a person residing in Xanthi, further anchoring the investigation in the broader northeastern region of Greece. Authorities are continuing their search for the two remaining suspects.
The shootout occurred when three Turkish nationals spotted EYP officers tracking them near a gas station in Thermi, outside Thessaloniki. One suspect approached the agents’ vehicle and fired three shots – one hitting the hood, two striking the passenger door. No injuries were reported.
The Daltons gang, led by Baris Boyun – described in international media as a “mafia boss” – has been linked to drug trafficking, extortion and murders across Europe. Boyun was arrested in Italy in May 2024 on a Turkish warrant.
Six young Turkish gang members were killed in September 2023 near an Airbnb rental in Loutsa, East Attica, with two Turkish nationals recently sentenced to life imprisonment for those murders.
EYP has intensified surveillance of Turkish organized crime figures who increasingly use Greece as a refuge and engage in bloody internal conflicts. Tuesday’s incident began as a routine surveillance operation involving at least four intelligence officers using two cars and two motorcycles.
When the suspects stopped for gas, apparently conducting countersurveillance, one intelligence officer parked 300-400 meters away with hazard lights flashing. The move was immediately detected by the Turkish suspects, triggering the gunfire.
Following the shooting, authorities launched a sweeping operation targeting Turkish nationals with suspected Daltons connections. Six people were arrested – five on drug charges and one for ammunition possession in Komotini. None was directly linked to Tuesday’s shooting.