A man identified by Greek authorities as “Edik,” the leader of a criminal organization accused of orchestrating multiple underworld killings, has been arrested in Dubai along with his deputy, known as “Leonidas,” under Greek arrest warrants.

According to Greek authorities, Edik is suspected of ordering the murders of at least four members of Greece’s organized crime network, commonly referred to in the media as the “Greek Mafia.” Leonidas is accused of directly participating in the killings of Yiannis Skaftouros, also known as “Uncle Joe,” Vassilis Roubetis (“Rambo”), and Dionyssis Mouzakitis (“Nionios”).

The case has become more complicated after Russian authorities also submitted a request to Dubai seeking Edik’s extradition to Russia because he reportedly holds dual citizenship. Greek authorities have been informed of the request.

Legal Obstacles Could Delay Extradition

Criminal defense lawyer Thanasis Karagiannis said the suspect’s immediate extradition to Greece is far from certain, citing several legal obstacles.

Speaking to Greek broadcaster SKAI, Karagiannis said Greece had previously sought Edik’s extradition, but the request was rejected.

“An extradition request has already been submitted once and was rejected, so there is legal precedent, and Dubai could reject the Greek request again,” he said.

Karagiannis said possible reasons for rejecting an extradition request could include the suspect’s dual nationality, concerns about his personal safety, or conditions in Greek prisons.

He added that Russia’s competing request further complicates the process.

“Even if extradition is approved, it will have to be determined whether Dubai gives priority to Greece or to Russia,” he said.

According to Karagiannis, the legal process is expected to take considerable time, noting that extradition proceedings can take between one and six months even within Greece.

Questions Raised Over Notification Delay

Karagiannis also questioned why Greek authorities were reportedly informed of the arrest about 15 days after it took place.

“It surprises me that he was arrested about 15 days ago and the Greek authorities were informed much later,” he said, noting that Greece has long sought to arrest the suspect but could not do so while he remained in Dubai because it has no authority to make arrests on foreign soil without judicial cooperation.

The lawyer also urged caution regarding the scope of the allegations, saying that while Edik appears to be linked to numerous investigations, authorities should avoid attributing additional crimes without sufficient evidence.

“He appears to be involved in many cases, but often someone linked to five cases ends up being associated with another ten,” Karagiannis said.