Attica boat engine theft ring dismantled in Greece

Greek police have dismantled a criminal gang responsible for stealing outboard motors and marine equipment across Attica. The investigation, led by the Lavreotiki Crime Investigation Unit, has solved 12 distinct thefts and four thefts of operational trucks, with total losses estimated to exceed 800,000 euros.

Operating between October 2024 and February 2026, the group targeted boats parked in private, secured areas in Mesogeia and remote parts of Northeast Attica. The suspects used rented or stolen trucks to transport the stolen parts, often using fake identification to secure vehicles. To evade detection, they traveled via remote roads and hid both the vehicles and the stolen goods in forested areas for several days to avoid GPS tracking.

After disassembling and packaging the engines, the gang transported the components to private Albanian travel agencies in central Athens to export them to Albania. To evade forensic identification, the suspects reportedly washed their operational trucks with bleach to destroy any potential genetic material. Four individuals face charges, including participation in a criminal organization and forgery; two are currently detained in Koridallos and Corfu.