Μake us preferred on Google Police have arrested six people over an attempted bombing of the Lefkada villa of a Greek-American businessman, with investigators alleging that two inmates at the Malandrino prison ordered the attack from inside the facility.
The arrests of five men and one woman were carried this week by Greek Police’s organized crime division. The suspects face arrest warrants for forming a criminal organization and violations of laws on weapons and explosives.
Police said the suspects had different roles in the planning and execution of the botched attack, which took place Jan. 23 at a residence near Agiofylli in the Vasiliki area of southern Lefkada island. They allegedly placed and attempted to detonate an improvised explosive device at the home of the elderly businessman, who lives in the United States and spends part of the summer in Greece with his family.
The device, containing about 10 kilograms of gelignite and a slow-burning fuse, was placed on the rear balcony of the villa. It failed to explode and was later discovered by the property’s caretaker, who alerted authorities.
The investigation also identified two alleged instigators who are being held at Malandrino prison, one Greek national and one a foreign national. Police allege that the two inmates directed the six suspects from inside the facility.
The case was initially reported in January after the device was discovered at the upscale residence.
The businessman had also reportedly been targeted in an armed attack in the southern Athens coastal district of Voula in May. The perpetrators in that case have not been identified, and authorities have not established a connection between the two incidents.
Three of the six arrested suspects had previously come to the attention of authorities in cases involving drugs, theft, robbery, property damage, domestic violence, weapons offenses, environmental violations and customs offenses, as well as disorderly conduct.
