The three men arrested in connection with the deadly explosion in Athens’ Plaka district, which claimed six lives, had previously come to the attention of police nearly 80 times between them, according to information gathered by the authorities.

The two Greek nationals and one Albanian national are accused of removing a section of copper piping from the stairwell of a building on Lysikratous Street, triggering a gas leak that investigators believe ultimately caused the devastating blast.

Police records show that all three have extensive histories of involvement in cases concerning theft, robbery, drug offences and handling stolen goods.

One suspect’s police record dates back 41 years

One of the two Greek suspects has the longest history of encounters with law enforcement. Between 1985 and 2026, he came to the attention of police approximately 45 times in connection with theft, robbery and drug-related offences.

The second Greek suspect was involved in 13 recorded police cases between 2008 and 2026, also concerning theft, robbery and drugs.

The Albanian national has been known to police in more than 20 cases since 2019, involving drug offences, theft, handling stolen goods and robbery.

Together, the three suspects account for approximately 80 previous police encounters, with the earliest dating back 41 years.

Earlier on Friday, October 30, prosecutors brought criminal charges against all three in connection with the explosion.

The charges include arson and causing an explosion that endangered human life and resulted in deaths, intentional homicide on the basis of eventual intent, and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm, with the offences allegedly committed jointly.

All three were granted additional time to prepare their defence statements and are scheduled to appear before an investigating magistrate on Monday, November 2, at noon.

What security cameras revealed

Investigators examined CCTV footage showing three individuals moving suspiciously around the building on Lysikratous Street approximately five hours before the explosion.

Two of the men are seen entering the stairwell and remaining inside for only a few minutes. All three then appear to leave the building hurriedly, carrying a section of copper piping.

The footage provided a crucial lead in the investigation into the explosion.

An earlier report by the National Technical University of Athens had established that the gas leak originated inside the building, close to the ground-floor meter, rather than from an external section of the installation.

How the explosion was triggered

Investigators from the Hellenic Fire Service’s Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes, working under prosecutorial supervision, identified the three suspects as part of the investigation.

The men are accused of stealing a copper pipe from the building’s natural gas installation several hours before the tragedy.

According to investigators, the suspects attempted to cut the pipe with a cutting tool before pulling it away, dislodging part of the installation and creating a rupture in the internal gas network.

Natural gas subsequently escaped into the building, reaching dangerously high concentrations over the following hours, including on the second floor, where an elderly couple lived.

Investigators believe the explosion occurred when the elderly woman entered the bathroom and switched on the light. The electrical spark is believed to have ignited the accumulated gas, causing the deadly blast.

School minibus escaped the blast by seconds

A photograph obtained by protothema.gr illustrates the scale of the destruction, showing flames engulfing both the upper floors and the ground floor of the building as gas had spread throughout much of the property.

The same image shows a black vehicle, identified as a school minibus, which had reportedly passed the building just seconds before the explosion.

The timing meant the school vehicle narrowly avoided being caught in the blast, potentially preventing further casualties.

Video footage also captures the school minibus passing the location shortly before the explosion, while separate recordings show the immediate aftermath of the disaster.