As Crete sells itself to the world as a land of hospitality, bravery, and timeless charm, its other face — the one of guns, grudges, and local dynasties — remains an open secret.

The three men had been hiding in a village about 20 minutes from Vorizia, from where they were picked up by a police patrol car.

Authorities said 104 firearms were seized and 345 people arrested in the Phaistos Municipality, where the beleaguered village of Vorizia is located

"If the police had acted on the evidence, that woman would still be alive," the resident said.