Athens’ daily life was shaken once again by a cold-blooded mafia execution in the center of Chalandri, bringing to light the ruthless actions of the Greek Mafia. The victim, 53-year-old Giorgos Moschouris, known to authorities for his criminal past, was shot dead by dozens of bullets outside a private diagnostic center. The ambush, premeditated and highly professional, resembled a cinematic execution scene and adds to the long list of settling scores between rival gangs.
The Ambush and Murder
On Thursday afternoon, the perpetrators set up an ambush for Moschouris outside the “Praxis Health” diagnostic center on Palaeologou Street in Chalandri. It appears they had closely monitored his movements and knew the time of his appointment. When he exited the clinic, he was met with a barrage of bullets from a Kalashnikov – more than 30 rounds, some of which even ended up inside the diagnostic center.
Witnesses report an exchange of fire, as Moschouris was likely armed. However, this information has not yet been officially confirmed.
The Perpetrators’ Escape
After the execution, the perpetrators fled in the initial vehicle to the Patima Chalandriou area, where they set it on fire before continuing their escape in a second car. Their movements indicate a well-organized operation, with knowledge of the area and the target.
The Profile of the Victim
Giorgos Moschouris, known in the underworld by the nicknames “Thamnákias,” “Megalos,” or “Trelos,” was reportedly a member of the Greek Mafia. Authorities had kept a close eye on him for his involvement in extortion, protection rackets, and organized crime.
His murder comes four years after a previous attempt on his life in 2020, when he was shot in the abdomen outside a bakery in Voula and survived thanks to his armored car.
In 2002, Giorgos Moschouris was in his third decade of life, and according to reports, he disappeared from the public eye but continued to operate behind the scenes. Eleven years later, his name resurfaced in the media for an attempt on the life of a nightclub owner on Syngrou Avenue. Along with another accomplice, they set an ambush outside the businessman’s home in Ilioupoli, attacking him first with fists and then with the stock of a gun. The businessman, in his desperation, ran, but Moschouris and his accomplice shot him over ten times, while he attempted to escape by climbing a wall and jumping onto the roof of a parked car.
In 2015, his name appeared again in police reports when three criminal groups accused of selling protection to 150 businesses in the Attica region were investigated, with Moschouris identified as the leader of one of the groups.
In July 2020, on a warm evening outside “Ipirotissa” on Vary-Koropiou Avenue, Moschouris was confronted by two men in black who approached him on a black Honda Transalp motorcycle. Realizing they were going to kill him, he ran for cover behind his armored car, but the shooters opened fire, hitting him twice, once in the hand and once in the stomach. The would-be assassins fled, believing they had killed him, while authorities recovered thirteen bullet casings, and Moschouris was taken to the hospital.
Panic and Terror in the Neighborhood
During the attack, chaos ensued. Videos captured by security cameras and phones show vehicles stopping abruptly, drivers abandoning their cars, and a motorcyclist falling terrified onto the road. A female driver narrowly escaped as bullets passed right next to her.
Police Investigation
The Homicide Department of the Attica Security has launched thorough investigations. Materials are being gathered from security cameras in homes and businesses in the area, and videos from previous days are being checked for potential surveillance of the victim. The burned BMW abandoned at Patima is under scrutiny by the Forensic Department.
Settling Scores?
The murder is part of a broader wave of violence that appears to be related to conflicts within organized crime in Attica. The execution of Moschouris’ “second-in-command” in 2020 and his involvement in an attempted murder case of a nightclub owner in 2023 may piece together parts of a bloody puzzle that the police are trying to assemble.
