Thessaloniki: Sniper Rifle and Uzi Seized for Turkish Mafia Hit
Heavy weaponry was seized in a warehouse in Sykies — including a sniper rifle and an Uzi submachine gun. Two arrested individuals were released on restrictive terms.
Heavy weaponry for contract killing — Turkish mafia intensifies operations in Greece
A Yugoslavian-origin sniper rifle with a telescopic sight, an Uzi submachine gun, magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and radio transceivers: these were the items discovered by police in a warehouse in Sykies, Thessaloniki, last Saturday. According to Efimerida ton Syntakton, senior officers of the Hellenic Police believe that this weaponry was intended for a contract killing, as part of the war being waged in Greece between rival factions of the Turkish mafia.
That afternoon, police from the Anti-Organised Crime Subdirectorate of Northern Greece — the so-called "Greek FBI" — set up an ambush outside a ground-floor storage facility in Sykies, using information they had at their disposal. When a 36-year-old Turkish national and a 30-year-old Greek minority resident from Xanthi emerged from the warehouse carrying a cardboard package and a suspicious bag, they intervened immediately. The 30-year-old attempted to flee but was immobilised at once.
Confession under threats and Airbnb as an intermediate stop
In his preliminary hearing testimony, the 36-year-old Turk is reported to have admitted to his involvement, though claiming he acted under threats to his life. According to police, he revealed that the weaponry was intended for members of the criminal organisation "Daltonlar" (also known as "Daltonlar"), which in recent years has developed a strong presence in Thessaloniki.
According to the case file, the weapons were initially to be transferred to a short-term rental flat (Airbnb), where they would be concealed — written messages on the 36-year-old's mobile confirmed the plan. When that fell through, the weapons were temporarily transferred to the Sykies warehouse. The 30-year-old had provided the space for concealing the heavy weaponry, facilitating the 36-year-old.
Coordinator from Korydallos
Listed as the moral instigator in the case file is a 49-year-old Turk, already imprisoned in Korydallos Prison. He was arrested in March in Thessaloniki on the basis of an international warrant from Turkish authorities for a computer fraud conviction. Although the Thessaloniki Appeals Council decided to extradite him, he filed an appeal, which is still pending before the Court of Cassation.
From his cell, in cooperation with at least one other imprisoned compatriot, he is reported to have coordinated the weapons distribution and issued orders to the 36-year-old transporter.
Last Thursday, the 36-year-old and the 30-year-old were brought before the Thessaloniki examining magistrate and, following their testimony, were released on restrictive terms: regular reporting to police and a ban on leaving the country.
Escalation of violence — from pistols to sniper rifle
What greatly concerns the prosecution authorities is not merely the presence of heavy weaponry, but its qualitative change. Over the previous two years, seizures in Thrace and Thessaloniki concerned almost exclusively pistols. The discovery of a sniper rifle and Uzi indicates, according to the authorities, entry into a "second stage" of violence.
The presence of a scoped rifle points to a planned execution from a long distance, whilst the Uzi suggests preparation for intense exchange of fire. The authorities believe that the target was a high-ranking member of a rival gang operating in Northern Greece, and that the operation was planned to be carried out in a public space, with no consideration for avoiding casualties among innocent civilians.
Series of incidents in Attica and Thessaloniki
The case is not an isolated incident. In recent years, urban centres in Attica and Thessaloniki have become battlegrounds for settling accounts between rival factions of the Turkish mafia — chiefly "Daltonlar" and "Baygaralar". Efimerida ton Syntakton records a series of incidents confirming the transfer of domestic Turkish underworld disputes to Greek territory:
- 11 September 2023 — Loutsa (Artemida): Six Turkish nationals, members of the "Daltonlar" gang under Barış Boyun, were ambushed to death inside a car. The perpetrators shot them with dozens of bullets, leaving all of them dead.
- 14 June 2024 — Piraeus: An armed Turk opened fire inside a supermarket against fellow nationals from the rival "Baygaralar" organisation — one dead and one seriously injured.
- 9 December 2024 — Ano Glyfada: An attack outside a gambling establishment against a group of Turks from the "Baygaralar" organisation.
- 25 February 2025 — "Macedonia" Coach Station, Thessaloniki: Cold-blooded execution outside the station. An armed man approached a parked car and fired at least nine times at close range at two Turkish occupants — one dead, one injured.
Europol on alert — Operation Valkyria
The Thessaloniki case falls within the broader problem of illegal weapons trafficking in Europe via the Turkish-Bulgarian border. Europol and European authorities are monitoring these crossings, from which hundreds of weapons are channelled into Europe. As part of Operation Valkyria, in March and June dozens of arrests were made and weapons and drugs were seized in Spain, Bulgaria, France and Greece.
Source: Efimerida ton Syntakton