- Title: GREECE: Police release photographs parcel bomb suspects
- Date: 2nd November 2010
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (NOVEMBER 1, 2010) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) GREEK POLICE WEBSITE WHICH INCLUDES AN ANNOUNCEMENT CALLING CITIZENS TO CALL A POLICE HOTLINE WITH ANY INFORMATION ON SUSPECTS
- Embargoed: 17th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVA7K2ZEBW0C1ERT3GCIFY1DZUJL
- Story Text: Greek police on Monday (November 1) released pictures of two detainees suspected of planting and being in possession of a total of four parcel bombs, calling on the public to provide any further information concerning the suspects.
Police did not reveal the names of the two suspects, both in their twenty's, as they have not yet been charged.
The arrests came shortly after police intercepted a booby-trapped parcel addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and after another package exploded at a courier company in Athens, slightly wounding an employee.
The two men were arrested near the scenes and had two more bombs in their possession, police said.
The parcel that exploded in the hands of a female employee was addressed to the Mexican embassy in Athens, police said.
The other packages were addressed to the Belgian and Dutch embassies in Athens, police said.
A police official said the quantity of explosives used in the parcel bombs was too small to kill.
Police suspect the parcels were linked to Greek leftist guerrilla groups.
One of the suspects is wanted in relation to a local militant guerrilla group, the 'Fire Conspiracy Cells' and a previous bus bombing.
Greece has been rocked by a wave of gas canister and bomb attacks, usually claimed by leftist groups, since the police killing of a teenager in Athens in 2008 sparked the country's worst riots in decades.
In June, a booby-trapped package exploded at the Civil Protection Ministry - in charge of police, killing one of the minister's closest aides.
The suspects, aged 22 and 24, were carrying weapons and one was wearing a bullet-proof jacket, police said.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that a parcel was addressed to the Dutch embassy but declined to comment on the type of explosives or the reason the embassy was targeted. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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