From the Sub-Directorate for the Prosecution of Crimes Against Life and Property, of Directorate for Combating Organized Crime a 43-year-old foreigner was identified as a member of a criminal organization that committed thefts of luxury watches and jewelry in various European countries using the "RIP - DEAL" method.
An investigation by the Property Crimes Department of the above Sub-Directorate was preceded, and after the relevant exchange of information with International Prosecution Authorities, it was established that at least since the summer of 2023, the action of a mobile criminal group, whose members were involved in the theft of luxury watches and jewelry.
In particular, it was established that the members of the organization have committed thefts using the above method in various European states, including Greece, and specifically in August 2023 in a hotel in Athens, with the total monetary value of the stolen items amounting to 243.400 euro.
For this case, among others, the above 43-year-old man is accused, as he is allegedly involved in the commission of the theft in question, which was carried out using the "RIP-DEAL" method, while his full details were ascertained after appropriate data utilization and exchange information with Europol and Interpol.
In terms of the organization's action methodology, it emerged that its members initially identified the items they were interested in on specialized websites and then approached the sellers seeking to gain their trust. In fact, to make themselves even more convincing to their potential victims, they did not appear as ordinary workers but as businessmen with a high social and professional "status".
Afterwards, they would arrange a face-to-face meeting in order to check the items for sale, in central hotels of each chosen city. There, during the process of showing the luxury items, the "appraiser-buyer" convinced the seller with various pretexts to hand over the items to him in order to pack them properly in front of him and place them temporarily in the hotel safe.
However, when delivering the packaging with the items, the "appraiser" did not deliver the newly packed items but different - fake ones in packages, which were so similar that the seller could not realize that it was a clone bag (RIP-method DEAL).
For their movements, it was ascertained that they traveled by air or by road, even using luxury vehicles.
The case file was submitted to the competent Public Prosecutor.
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