In a Mafia-style shooting, a notorious figure of the Greek smuggling network was gunned down in a remote hotel in the famous resort town of Arachova, Viotia, on Saturday night.
42-year-old Giannis Lalas was officially a businessman, however, had a long criminal record and had survived a a few assassination attempts in the past. Along with his brother, he was charged for the murder of investigative journalist Giorgos Karaivaz in April 2021, but both were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
He was known as “the body builder of the Greek Mafia” and his nickname in the scene was “the cook.” media reported that he was hiding in Mani region of south Peloponnese for quite some time.
On Saturday night, he allegedly received a phone call, went out to the balcony of his room and within minutes he was dead.
It was his Albanian girlfriend who informed the police, while the perpetrators fled the scene. A few kilometers away, they set their vehicle on fire and disappeared for one more time.
According to police sources, the 42-year-old was staying at a hotel near Arachova, with a woman and two other couples. The assailants allegedly tracked his movements and opened fire with a Kalashnikov when he stepped out onto the hotel balcony. Lalas was shot multiple times and died instantly. The woman accompanying him notified the authorities, and a burnt-out car, which is thought to have been used by the attackers, was discovered nearby.
According to latest media information on Monday, Lalas was gunned down with two Kalashnikov and one 9mm pistol. The perpetrators left the weapons inside the car they later set on fire. The vehicle was reported as stolen from a suburb in Athens beginning of October.
Police believe the murder is probably connected to a dispute settled through violence. Lalas had reportedly joined a Russian-speaking criminal group involved in cigarette smuggling and had clashed with a leading member of the Greek Mafia. In May, he survived a previous attempted attack outside a petrol station he owned in Ano Liosia, Attica, thanks to his armored vehicle.
Police officers investigating the murder are reportedly analyzing video footage and eyewitness testimonies to track the killers’ movements.
In most cases of Mafia-style murders, the attackers have never been found.
