Assassination attempt against gangland figure in broad daylight - Saved by armored car

Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle on a bulletproof Mercedes driven by G.L., known by the alias “Bodybuilder.”

The intended target, who has a history with authorities, escaped without injury due to the armored vehicle. The attack occurred near a gas station owned by G.L. on Odyssea Elyti Street as he reportedly started his car.

G.L., who was previously acquitted in the murders of journalist Giorgos Karaivaz and boxer Haris Kontogiorgis (also known as “Dirty Harry”), had been released from prison in October 2024. Following the ambush, he fled to another gas station he owns in Metamorfosi and contacted the police extortion unit, reporting that a motorbike had followed him and a passenger had “emptied a Kalashnikov” on his vehicle. However, he subsequently failed to appear at the Nea Ionia police station and temporarily disappeared, leading to a search by the Organized Crime Division before he was found unharmed.

Investigators are exploring the possibility that the attempted murder is retaliation connected to the April shooting of Giorgos Moschouris (aka “Thamnakiaa”) in Halandri. G.L. is reportedly associated with “Ednik,” an alleged Ukrainian mafia boss believed to be operating a Greek criminal network from Dubai. Ednik, nicknamed “The Voice,” has been implicated in the Moschouris attack and previously targeted Panagiotis Vlastos, a prominent figure in the Greek underworld.

The name of G.L. appeared in a March 2025 case file compiled by Greece’s equivalent of the FBI, which detailed an organization accused of a wide range of criminal activities, including contract killings, extortion, kidnappings, arson, and violence. The group was also allegedly involved in running “protection rackets” for businesses, mediating disputes through threats and physical force, assaulting rival inmates in Korydallos Prison, and orchestrating revenge attacks.

The file also documented a prison assault on Mr. Vlastos, during which G.L. reportedly stated, “This is from Ednik.”