Greek police arrested two nationals of Pakistan and one of Iraq for the murder of 25-year-old Nikos Moustakas at Philopappou Hill next to Acropolis last week.
The Pakistanis aged 17 and 28 were arrested at Idomeni border crossing as they were trying to flee Greece for FYROM Thursday noon.
The 25-year-old Iraqi national was arrested in Athens on Thursday evening.
Police announced the arrests late on Thursday, exactly one week after the incident.
Moustakas’ girl friend has recognized one of the suspects. .
They reportedly confessed to have robbed Moustakas and his Portuguese girl friend but they denied they were involved in this death, to have pushed him off the cliff.
They claimed that as they threatened him with a knife and a broke beer bottle and that he fell off the cliff in his effort to avoid them.
In terms of investigation Greek police detained several migrants in downtown Athens, some of them seem to have given information about the perpetrators.
Media report that police traced them based on the fingertips left on the girl’s bag and phone mobile phone calls, before the perpetrators had closed their mobile phones after the incident.
The Iraqi national was detained for thefts in the past and police had him on its records.
The two Pakistanis reportedly said that they left Athens due to the broad publicity of the incident, crossed the country up to Thessaloniki and from there they moved to Idomeni.
The 17-year-old had come to Greece a year ago.
The three are reportedly members of a gang operating in the historic center of Athens, stealing wallets, mobile phones and valuable items from tourists.
25-year-old Nikos Moustakas and his 23-year-old girl friend were at Philopappou Hill opposite of Acropolis in the night of August 16th when they were approached by the three perpetrators.
While two of the perpetrators overpowered the man, the third one grabbed the girl’s back-bag and stole her wallet with 60 euros, her mobile phone and her passport.
The girl friend alerted police after she heard her boyfriend falling from the rocks and the perpetrators fled.
Nikos Moustakas was studying economics and working at the same time in a big hotel chain in Glasgow, Scotland.
He died from a head injury after falling from a height of 20 meters.
The suspects are to be taken to prosecutor on Friday.
Police has reportedly increased patrols in Philopappou and Acropolis area after the incident.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the Mayor of Athens and all ministers in charge, Moustakas mother urged them to reduce patrols for the protection of politicians and increase patrols for the protection of citizens.
She said that as Nikos was living abroad he was not aware of how dangerous the area is especially at night.
