A counter-terrorism operation taking place in Athens and Thessaloniki on Wednesday night uncovered a hideout in Kolonaki, an upmarket area in downtown Athens, and another hideout at Thessaloniki. The police conducted house searches to find large-calibre weapons. Specifically, the Greek Counter-Terrorist Squad searched through houses believed to be associated with the terrorist group known as the “Conspiracy of Cells of Fire” (SPF – Synomosia ton Pyrinon tis Fotias).

At a Kolonaki apartment near Lykavittos hill, the counter-terrorist squad found a kalashikov, a pistol, a hand grenade, bullets and money that possibly came from bank heists. The specific apartment was rented by one suspect that had arrived from Thessaloniki four days ago. Another suspect is believed to have arrived in Athens ten days ago in an effort to seek arms on the black market.

Police reports point to the arrest of two suspects in Athens and another two suspects in Thessaloniki. Amongst them are two well-known anarchists from Thessaloniki, one of which is a well-known member of SPF and another member of Albanian descent that is believed to have participated in bank heists.

The police investigation had begun over summer. CCTV footage during a bank heist over summer and another one in Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, around a year ago helped the police to detect some people and start tracking their activities.

Police believe that the SPF has contact with people who sell parcel bombs and may possibly known the whereabouts of fugitive Christodoulos Xyros from the N17 terrorist group.

More arrests are expected over the coming days.

Who are the SPF? 

The group had first surfaced on January 21, 2008, with a wave of 11 firebombings against 11 luxury car dealerships and banks in Athens and Thessaloniki and more arson attacks followed by proclamations. Since then, the gruop has been regularly active with proclamations expressing that the SPF represented a “third pole” of anarchist thought in Greece known as anarcho-individualism. Some members of the group refer to themselves as nihilists. They reject class struggle and other collective categories, viewing the battle against the state and its insitutions as a battle for individual self-actualization.