Greek authorities have revealed new information about a criminal group that is suspected of operating in Athens and other areas of the country in recent years, specializing in contract killings, trafficking and business protection. At the center of the investigation are two Albanian citizens, who, according to the Hellenic Police, are suspected of playing key roles in several serious events, including the attempted assassination of Greek mafia figure Jani Lala on May 16, 2025 in Ano Liosia.
Dhimiter Meci
Dhimiter Meci, 45 years old, from Labova e Poshtme, Gjirokastra, about 1.65 m tall, is among the names that the Greek police consider as one of the most active contract killers in recent decades. According to Hellenic Police sources, Meci has been prosecuted several times in Greece for theft, robbery, attempted murder, murder and participation in a criminal organization.
Criminal career according to police records:
2004 – Arrested for the murder of a Syrian immigrant outside a prostitution center in Athens.
During a 9-day leave from Kassandra prison, he was involved in the robbery of a Pro-Po agency in Glyfada, where 65,000 euros were taken.
After his release in 2011, he allegedly worked as an assistant to extortion gangs in the Glyfadha, Haidari, Kaminia and Koridhalos areas. Shops paid 100–150 euros every two weeks for protection.
Murders where he is suspected of being the perpetrator:
According to Greek investigators, Meci is linked as a suspect to the murders:
Panagiotis Stivas (September 2006)
Ali Saeed and Giorgos Shabbat (March 2008)
“Pitsilas” (IT) – suspected of links to the murder of two Golden Dawn members
He is also suspected of carrying out assassinations on behalf of Greek mafia bosses linked to the nightlife and drug trafficking. On several occasions, he has been investigated as a person who may have received orders for high-level assassinations, including a Greek police chief and the notorious mafioso Manolis Karagianis (“Karaflas”), murders that he did not carry out.
Other important arrests:
December 2014 – Sepolia, Athens: Arrested in the company of Klodian Lekocaj (Klod Cara), known as the leader of a group of contract killers.
Meci was caught with two pistols and is suspected of being involved in an attempted murder in Halkidiki in July 2014.
The Murder of Artin Kato (2012):
In 2018, while imprisoned in Koridhalo, Meci was identified for the murder of 29-year-old Artin Kato, with whom he allegedly had personal conflicts. Meci had invited the victim to a meeting through a fake Facebook profile. Klodian Lekocaj later claimed responsibility for the murder, and Meci was convicted only for collaboration.
Criminal connections:
Close friend of Klodian Lekocaj (Klod Cara) – arrested together in 2014.
He is suspected of working for Greek mafia groups that control the nightlife.
He has traveled to Albania several times after serious events to hide.
Fatjon Prendi
Fatjon Prendi, born on 10.04.1986, currently imprisoned in Trikala prison, was arrested in September of this year as part of a group where the following were seized:
1.1 tons of marijuana
synthetic drugs
arsenal
He is known to the Greek police for his involvement in a number of criminal incidents, including armed robberies and violent clashes with the police.
The Cryoneri Event – December 2012
On December 7, 2012, four people, including Prendin, attempted to force their way into a house in Krioneri, robbing a girl who had just returned to the apartment.
The confrontation with the police ended with:
heavy exchanges of fire
injury to a police officer
the crash into a stream of the vehicle carrying a well-known Greek journalist, Makis Triantafyllopoulos, who was taken hostage
Prendi served about 10 years in prison and was released on parole on February 11, 2022. In 2017, a knife was found in his cell.
Links to underworld figures:
He is known as the friend of Alfons Ndoci, an Albanian executed in a Greek prison last year.
His name has been mentioned several times in other serious crime files.
charging
Andrea Brokeri, born on 15-11-1993 in Albania.
Vasil Theohari, born on 21-03-1994 in Piraeus – currently wanted.
Jani Lala, target of suspected assassinations; was killed a month before being executed by the group, in Arahova.
According to the Hellenic Police, Meci and his associates are accused of the May 16, 2025 attack on Jani Lala, known to be involved in Greek mafia circles and suspected of links to the "Ethnik" group, a well-known Ukrainian criminal living in Dubai.
How the assassination happened: Lala was traveling in an armored Mercedes-Benz.
From a motorcycle, the perpetrators opened fire with about 50 bullets.
Thanks to the armor, Lala survived.
Investigations revealed that the attackers used:
van with hidden cameras mounted on the dashboard
24-hour monitoring device for target movements
a stolen vehicle in July 2025
Two weeks after the assassination attempt, they tried to film Lala's movements again, but were caught by gas station employees. Police found the camera hidden inside the vehicle.
The same persons are suspected of having committed:
The burning of a gas station in Argyroupoli (February 23, 2025)
Greek authorities continue investigations into the network that allegedly includes:
contract killing
failed assassination attempts
drug trafficking
extortion and control of businesses
collaborators from Albania, Greece and other countries
So far, Dhimiter Meci and Fatjon Prendi remain two of the main figures in the file, linked according to the police to some of the most serious events of the last decade in Greece.
