Scenes of tension unfolded in the early morning hours in Mikrolimano, Piraeus, when police officers of the Organized Crime Division were confronted by an armed 42-year-old man of Albanian nationality, who pulled a gun on them during a checkpoint.

According to the official briefing of the ELAS press spokesperson, Constantia Demoglidou, the incident occurred in the early morning hours of May 23, 2026, when police officers of the Anti-Extortion Department were conducting checks at health shops in the area.

During the course of the checks they spotted a man moving around the outside of the store and deemed his behavior suspicious.

When the officers approached him and identified themselves, the man attempted to walk away.

According to the NPS, he then pulled a gun on a police officer, causing a second officer to use his service weapon, wounding and incapacitating him.

An ambulance of the ambulance service rushed to the scene, which transported the injured man to a hospital, where he is under guard, while the competent public prosecutor was immediately informed.

As mentioned by Ms. Demoglidou, during the ensuing searches, officers located two fully armed pistols and a revolver in his possession. According to her, the gun he allegedly pulled on a police officer had a bullet in the chamber and a magazine with 32 rounds of ammunition.

He also said that quantities of drugs and six grenades were found in a backpack found near the spot, which led to the immediate mobilization of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department of the ELAS.

The spokeswoman of the Greek Police stressed that the preliminary investigation revealed that this is a 42-year-old foreigner, who has been in the hands of the authorities since 1995 for a series of serious offences, including homicide, attempted homicide, criminal organisation, robbery, theft, rape and taking a police officer hostage.

He also noted that he had a pending red notice and a European arrest warrant for a number of offences, including attempted murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, prisoner escape, resisting arrest, unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of a weapon.

According to the ELAS data, the 42-year-old was arrested in 2019 abroad, where he served a prison sentence until 2025, while he allegedly entered Greece illegally in 2026. The total prison and jail sentences pending against him in the country exceed 73 years.

The investigation of the case has been taken over by the Sub-Directorate for Crimes against Life and Property of the DEA.