Empire Navigation, owners of the hijacked tanker of Greek interests 'St. Nikolas', said that the local correspondent of P&I Club insurance agency paid a visit on Monday to the crew at Iran's port of Bandar Abbas.
Four more terrorist attacks, particularly bloody, with strong symbolism and incalculable consequences for the country, were planned by the two Pakistanis who were recruited by a Pakistani association of paramilitary organizations based in Tehran. With the sole criterion of the greatest possible number of killed and wounded, so that the bloodbath would play loudly in the media of the whole world, the paid terrorists, in addition to the attack on the synagogue-restaurant in Psirri, were planning to plant a bomb in the center of Athens , a blind attack on a random car on an island, as well as the murders of a bearded man and a businessman whose movements were filmed.
As revealed, the 27-year-old leader of the Greek arm and resident of Zakynthos Irtaza Haider, his 29-year-old compatriot who lived in Sparta Hussain Abid, under the orders of the 30-year-old Pakistani wanted man who lives in Tehran, Sayed Fakhar Abbas, "acting together with other perpetrators who also allegedly live abroad and whose details could not be ascertained, giving and receiving orders, directed the arrested persons in Greece with the aim of:
Causing an explosion, with homicidal intent, in the Orthodox Jewish synagogue "Chabad of Athens" on 10 Aesopou Street in Athens, using explosives or igniting a gas bottle, as well as the armed attack at the same place.
The placement of a backpack of explosives in a crowded area of Athens or Zakynthos during the Christmas holidays of the year 2022, with homicidal intent and seeking to cause the maximum possible number of deaths.
Committing crimes against life or property against nationals doing business in the territory of Israel.
The homicide of at least two people in an area of island Greece without being able to determine the exact location during the preliminary investigation".
The revelations about the barrage of attacks came from the findings on the mobile phones of the two arrested, as hundreds of conversations, photographs and videos were found which exposed their dark plans. In fact, as recorded in the conclusion of the Anti-Terrorist unit, "they simultaneously carry out actions concerning different terrorist attacks, which they alternate / choose according to the actual conditions prevailing in each case and also the capabilities of the organization existing at the same time.
Consequently, the non-commitment in Greece by the organization of any of the planned crimes is always due to reasons independent of the will of its members (external obstacles, non-existence of specific materials at a given time, etc.), and the will of the members is still to remain committed to the commission of a terrorist act. It is noted that up until February 12, i.e. two days before the initial detection of 27-year-old Irtaza Haider by the Anti-Terrorist unit, there were continuous communications between the defendants regarding the commission of terrorist acts".
The National Intelligence Service (NIS-EYP), in collaboration with the Anti-Terrorism unit and the links of the Israeli Mossad, have in their hands eight more Pakistanis, all of whom had close contacts with the two arrested, were living illegally in Greece and are being investigated if they are members of a core unit in Athens, under the full control of an Iranian paramilitary organization.
The conversations
When last fall EYP began investigations into a group of Pakistani immigrants who were recruited by a wanted compatriot living in Iran, it began a sweep of surveillance and analysis that, when the puzzle was completed, showed how high the risk was that Greece would turn in the coming months into field of bloody attacks by paid terrorists with victims being dozens of innocents.
According to what is written in the transmission drawn up by the Anti-Terrorist Office: "On November 2, Sayed Fakhar Abbas from Tehran instructs Irtaza Haider in Zakynthos, first to send him photos or videos of the weapons and then to complete the work he undertook with the boat and rifles in order to be paid. In addition, he sends him a number of photos from the Orthodox Jewish synagogue "Chabad of Athens", from the restaurant housed inside it and the outdoor area near it, asking him to immediately activate someone to take videos and photos. Following this suggestion, 27-year-old sent photos on the same day".
A week later - and specifically on November 8 - Abbas makes reference to the rewards they will receive from the jobs they will carry out, saying characteristically: "I say if it is up to 2-3 people, if they find 5-6 people elsewhere, they will increase the number, I can double the amount for you. As the numbers grow, so will the money. If up to 5-6 people it can reach up to 20,000,000 rupees, there is neither difficulty nor sorrow. The more work we do, the more I will take and give to them."
From November 14 to 23, Sayed Fakhar Abbas repeatedly demanded that Irtaza Haider take pictures with the weapons, but also send pictures and videos from the synagogue with the help of his associate, with the 27-year-old reassuring him by telling him that he himself had undertaken the job.
The first report of planning a new terrorist attack comes a few days later. According to the transmission, on November 24, Sayed Fakhar Abbas asked for pictures of the weapons and Irtaza Haider sent him a picture showing Hussain Abid holding a hunting rifle and next to him a man holding birds.
The two proceed to plan a terrorist act by proposing to carry out the attack by placing a backpack with explosives in a crowded area of Athens or Zakynthos, on Christmas or New Year, so that there will be as many victims as possible. "Come the Christmas holidays, we could find a lot of people gathered in the same place, that is, we could put them in a backpack and leave them in one place and there would have been a lot of people shaken. I could do this here on the island, I could also do it in Athens if we had the things you said," says the 27-year-old and asks Abbas to supply him with explosives, with the latter replying that this is unfeasible and advises against the use of weapons.
He points out that he has already informed the other unknown members that they are in possession of the weapons and he can no longer deny it saying "what you say, for these things to be arranged, it is very difficult. If they were to arrive, then the weapons would be easier... I have told them that we have weapons and a boat and they were convinced and I can't change that now."
Albanian accomplice
However, it is revealed that at the same time the two arrested were also working on another plan, even progressing quite a bit, identifying the person who would carry it out. It is specifically mentioned in the case file:
"The 27-year-old reports that he has approached an Albanian to commit murder, but the deal did not close because the latter said that the money was small and that he would carry it heavily on his conscience, stating characteristically "he was an Albanian who was a dude and I talked to him and I said that there is a man and you should clean him and I told him about the man with the beard in the restaurant. The Albanian said that firstly the money is not much and secondly "how will I sleep at night?" I can't kill him, if only to stab him, yes, because if we do that we won't spare her afterwards.''
By the end of November, the Pakistani group had also proceeded to plan a third attack, particularly bloody and defiantly violent and blind. In fact, the action would take place after the olives were harvested: "27-year-old Irtaza Haider proposes to Sayed Fakhar Abbas as an alternative to committing murder that he and Hussain Abid go to an island that he does not name in the conversation and where a friend lives who owns guns and pistols. There, they could commit murders by stopping a car on the road and killing 2-3 people, taking a relevant video as evidence, saying: “Listen, I have a friend on an island who has three guns and pistols. And he says that as soon as they finish with the olives, let's stop a car, be 2-3 people, kill 2-3 people and then send the video. The other says "let's be the two of us". However, he emphasizes that this requires about 10 days of pre-work so that they can properly survey the site for any police blockades.
In addition, he asked Abbas for money to go ahead with the preparations. Sayed Fakhar Abbas approves the proposal but sets a time limit for the 27-year-old and 29-year-old to be together for this job, while asking for their bank accounts in Pakistan to deposit the money. He informs him that for each dead person the reward is 5 million rupees, characteristically saying: "Why this is what I told you to arrange either one person, or two, or three-four, tell them openly and clearly, for each head the fee is 5 million rupees. Whether you do 1-2-3, etc., divide the amount per person and that's how you'll get the money."
At the same time, however, they continued to deal with the terrorist attack at the restaurant on Aesopou Street in Psirri, with a series of actions that are revealed step by step through the case file. Specifically: “On December 5, Abbas asks for photos of the group with Irtaza Haider sending photos depicting him and photos depicting Hussein. On January 4, Abbas sends Haider the exact location of the Orthodox synagogue with instructions on how to obtain video from inside.
Then the 27-year-old sends some videos from outside a shop located near the synagogue, stating "I have sent you many videos and they have come to this street where there are many shops, many tourists from Europe, from Italy, from Germany and from different countries ”, with Abbas satisfied with the result and Haider replying: “Nice, very nice. Things are very strict here because many people protect them here. They are the same ones I was telling you, those who need this video will understand who they are. It's in the center."
On January 9 and 12, the two defendants discussed the group's action focusing on the impending restaurant hit. Abbas is said to be under pressure from unknown people to carry out the terrorist attack saying: “They are threatening me too much. And if a solution is not found, great harm will happen." Haider reassures him by sending various messages, such as "it's too difficult for me to go back", "I can't leave. I need explosive things", "In this restaurant, I will do it", "Now I will do a big job".
He also asks the 30-year-old in Tehran to supply him with what he needs to carry out the attack with him counter-suggesting alternative ways to carry out the hit, such as "at the restaurant, you can use a gas canister", or "go 2-3 people and set fire to the kitchen when you get the right opportunity." Abbas again refers to unknown, unverified members of the organization, saying characteristically: "It's not like that, today I went to them.", "They showed me the video for other jobs as well," "I tried a lot, about two hours they were showing the video". "Until the issue is resolved, there is no way they will give me money." Haider seems determined to carry out the terrorist attack, as he says in a message: "I want to get enough money, it should be the church or some central place for more than 40-50 people to go".
The "other solution"
In that WhatsApp conversation, the 30-year-old from Tehran insists that something be done immediately with Haider stating “we have to target another person. I can't find this person. It's a new organization and I need time from you", "Help me even a little because I can't back down I tell you", "Find another solution, apart from blackmailing and intimidating others". Abbas insists and sends the following messages "whatever you can do soon because I won't be given much time", "Let the work be done in such a way that they have no room to complain. Do you understand that?'
"Whatever wound there is can be clearly seen in the video. Let the blood be real, it can be seen in the video if it is real or fake." Haider reassures him that "it will happen, I promise, and I will send you pictures and videos of every injured person," with Abbas replying, "When you get the chance, set fire to the restaurant, take Hussain with you, or arrange something else and make it look like a simple accident."
However, through the messages that the police managed to retrieve, it is revealed that there is another strike in the works, this time with a human target. In conversation, they refer to a third person about whom Haider mentions: “The one we are going to target, comes three days Friday, Saturday, Sunday. He is a businessman. When he is in my hands, the man will not leave alive," with Abbas asking for details saying "can I have a picture of this man? If he is a businessman can you google the company or find him on Facebook? There will be details."
On January 29th and February 12th there are talks that are specifically targeted the person Haider sends a picture of him, Abbas wants more information about this person and his family background, pointing out that the details he gives him must be correct saying: "Because if they show him on TV under a different name, then they will we have a problem".
At the same time, it demands that other actions be taken immediately, such as taking photos and videos of the person and the car, stating for example: "Take any such video that shows that we are watching him. The license plate of the car and this person should be clearly visible." Haider responds to this by sending pictures and videos.
"I want to get enough money, be it the church or some central place for more than 40-50 people to go," Irtaza Haider said cynically in his conversation
Arrests and investigations
Through the case file it is revealed that the two Pakistanis were actually living a double life. On the one hand, land workers, on the other, paid terrorists who wanted to bleed our country to get money and open hotels and restaurants in Pakistan. "During the identity check, Irtaza Haider showed an Anti-Terrorism police officer, as his identification document, an obviously fake certificate of application for the issuance of a residence permit, bearing different information from his own, but on which his own photo was attached", report the Anti-Terrorist police officers, wanting to point out that the leader of the Greek arm and recruiter had found the ends to even make fake documents.
In fact, even when he was brought in because he did not have the necessary documents, the 27-year-old understood what was going to happen and was trying to anticipate the developments regarding what the police would find on his mobile phone. "During the searches that took place on February 16 in Zakynthos and in particular against the legal body search of Irtaza Haider, he reacted strongly by persistently asking when his confiscated mobile phone device would be returned to him. After a few hours and while he was a prisoner at the Zakynthos Security Department, he expressed his desire to speak to the police regarding his mobile phone that had already been confiscated as part of his body search.
In particular, he stated that since November he had WhatsApp conversations on his mobile with a Pakistani national living in Iran, who asked him to take videos and photos from a restaurant in the center of Athens called "Chabad", in exchange money. In fact, he sent him via WhatsApp the exact coordinates of the place where he had to film. For this reason, Irtaza Haider traveled in early January to Athens, took pictures of the restaurant, and sent them to Sayed Fakhar Abbas. In addition, he said that he had asked another compatriot by the name of Hussain Abid, aged 29, who works in Sparta, to film the same place", the transmission states.
What both the EYP and Anti-Terrorism unit are now investigating is whether the 30-year-old Pakistani, who is wanted in his country for murders and lives permanently in Tehran, has been approached by Quds Force officials in order to locate his compatriots who live and work in Athens or other cities and with the lure of money transform them into mercenary terrorists.
Essentially Quds is an Iranian paramilitary organization under the Revolutionary Guards that carries out operations outside the country, without ever claiming responsibility. The eight Pakistanis detained for administrative deportation have entered the microscope of Greek and foreign secret services in order to decipher contacts with other people who play a strange game and move in the field of Islamic terrorism.
The positions of the two Greek tankers that have been seized by the Iranian authorities were announced by the website TankerTrackers.com.
The Greek tanker Prudent Warrior is anchored in the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran, while the Delta Poseidon is located north of the island of Larak, according to a post by TankerTrackers.com on Twitter.
It is recalled that the two tankers under the Greek flag, which came under the control of the Revolutionary Guards of Iran, were ordered to sail to Bandar Abbas on Sunday. Bandar Abbas is a port city and capital of Hormozgan Province on the south coast of Iran, in the Persian Gulf. The city is strategically located in the Strait of Hormuz and is the main base of the Iranian Navy.
Both the Prudent Warrior 150,000 dwt (built in 2017) and the Delta Poseidon 157,400 dwt (built in 2011) travel by the same means and are managed by their own crew.
All the sailors are in good health and are being treated well by the Revolutionary Guards of Iran, who boarded helicopters to board the two boats as they sailed in international waters off the coast of Iran on Friday, Tradewirnds reported.
"We are in regular contact with the captain," a director of Polembros Shipping, owner of Prudent Warrior, told TradeWinds. Twenty-three sailors aboard the ship - 15 Filipinos, seven Greeks and a Cypriot citizen.