Heavy weaponry and explosive materials, raising serious questions about their connection to the deadly clash in Voriza, were discovered by police authorities in an abandoned sheepfold near the village in the Municipality of Phaistos.
According to reliable information, during an operation by the Heraklion Subdirectorate for Crime Investigation and Detection, evidence that had come into the possession of the Messara Crime Investigation Unit (T.A.E.) was utilized, leading officers to a specific location where the weaponry was found hidden.
Inside the sheepfold, a green hunting-rifle case was located containing a military rifle with a movable bolt, whose serial number had been altered, as part of it had been cut off, as well as a double-barrel hunting shotgun of the Verney–Carron brand, with its serial number completely filed off. The alteration of identifying details is considered by authorities to be particularly critical, as it is believed to have been carried out with the clear intent of making it impossible to trace the owner or any prior use of the weapons.
At a short distance from the sheepfold, inside a stone enclosure and hidden in a white bucket filled with barley, six cardboard boxes containing dozens of military-rifle cartridges were found, while towels of various colors were also discovered in the same area. At the same time, on the inner side of the enclosure, among rocks, large quantities of fuses of various colors and lengths were located, with a total length of several dozen meters—an element that directly points to explosives or preparatory actions.
All findings were seized, the area was examined and photographed by a competent unit, and an examination by an explosives expert was ordered. The weapons and ammunition are to be sent to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in order to be checked for possible identification with other incidents of armed violence.
This development is quite significant for the Hellenic Police (EL.AS.), since, as is known, the weapons used in the bloodshed of November 1st—resulting in the deaths of 39-year-old Fanouris Kargakis and 56-year-old Evangelia Fragkiadaki—have not been located. The specific findings may be unrelated to the case, but they may also be connected or provide answers to other questions. The case is being handled by the Heraklion Security Department, which is now awaiting responses from forensic laboratories and specialists.
The alteration of serial numbers on the weapons is regarded by experienced EL.AS. officers as a clear indication of an organized attempt at concealment, so that there would never be any connection to a specific individual or family. Laboratory examinations are expected to shed light on whether the findings constitute critical pieces of the puzzle of a case that continues to shock the local community of Messara.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions