The court file prepared by the Greek Police details the colpo grosso involving the attempted sale of Byzantine icons and Gospels by the abbot of Mega Spileo Monastery in Kalavryta and his assisting monk.

According to the thorough investigation by Greek FBI officers, the “golden scam” worth €200,000 involved, in addition to the two clerics, a pawnbroker and an appraiser acting as buyers.

Let’s start from the beginning.

The phone call that “gave them away”
The countdown to locating and arresting those involved began at the end of last July, when authorities received a call from an unknown individual reporting that four people engaged in searching for, locating, and selling antiquities across Greece were in possession of artifacts and religious icons, which they intended to sell immediately.

The unknown caller called again in early August, this time providing more details. He reported that one of the individuals, named “Thanasis,” owns a pawnshop in Aigaleo, while another person in possession of icons for sale owns a bakery and has a brother who is a monk. This is how the unraveling began.

Undercover police contacts with the group
A crucial role was played by two undercover officers who, posing as interested buyers, managed to make contact with the group members and extract key information.

The investigation revealed that at the core of the operation was the team of the pawnbroker, the appraiser, and the baker, who focused on locating ancient objects and selling them abroad via unknown group associates in Germany, Cyprus, and possibly other countries. Specifically, these defendants would identify individuals in possession of ancient objects, and after approval from the appraiser, proceed with the purchase for later resale internationally.

Within this framework, they decided to buy from the abbot of Mega Spileo Monastery and his assisting monk religious Gospels, books, ancient coins, and 18th-century Byzantine icons, agreeing on a specific price for the transactions.

Closing
The appraiser played a central role in the process, as he made the final decision regarding the purchase and the agreed-upon amount to be paid for acquiring the artifacts.

The meeting and arrests
The operation came to an end on the morning of last Saturday (6/9), when one of the undercover officers contacted the appraiser’s team to arrange the purchase. The group initially asked the officer to first meet with a farmer in Sofiko as well as the abbot before arranging a joint meeting.

The meeting was scheduled, but the next day the appraiser contacted the officer again and changed the location. The officer reached out to the monk, who refused to attend the new meeting point (Tripoli) due to the distance. Instead, he asked the officer to visit the Monastery so that the items agreed for sale could be handed over there.

This is exactly what happened. Following this, the Greek Police operation unfolded, with officers handcuffing the defendants at different locations. The abbot and the monk were arrested outside the Monastery, while the others were taken at the designated meeting points.

All confiscated evidence was photographed by a team from the Forensic Directorate, while the seized ancient church icons, the two sacred Gospels, and the church book – which appear not to belong to the Mega Spileo Monastery’s property – were handed over to the Numismatic Museum for safekeeping and final appraisal.