Anavyssos: two arrests, Rizai sought

Two arrests were made by the Hellenic Police on Monday 14 September 2026 following the shooting that occurred in the early hours of Sunday 13 September 2026, around 05:15, at a beach bar in Anavyssos, in eastern Attica, according to our report. The 41-year-old owner of the business and his 39-year-old wife were arrested more than a day after the incident. According to iefimerida.gr and HuffPost Greece, a case file was formed against the 41-year-old owner for false statement, harbouring a criminal, obstruction of justice and moral complicity in illegal possession and use of firearms, while the 39-year-old is accused of false statement and moral complicity in illegal possession of firearms. From the incident, two men were injured: a 20-year-old Greek who was wounded on the ankle by glass fragments, and a 41-year-old foreign national, a Pakistani citizen, who was wounded by a bullet in the foot. The two arrests relate, according to the same reports, to actions that are reported to have followed the incident itself rather than the shooting itself.

At the centre of the investigation is Alket Rizai, a heavily sentenced criminal known from the Palaiokostaς case, who is being sought by the authorities. According to tovima.gr, Rizai did not return from leave that had been granted to him from Domokos Prison and had been declared a fugitive before the Anavyssos incident. As reported by iefimerida.gr and HuffPost Greece, Rizai is reported to be shown in security camera footage from the area of the beach bar, an element that puts him under scrutiny by the Hellenic Police for possible involvement in the incident, though no charges have been brought against him for the shooting. According to reports, the shooting is reported to have been carried out by a security employee of Afghan descent in the direction of Rizai, with the result that bystanders were injured; this information remains under investigation and has not been officially confirmed by the Hellenic Police. The fact that Rizai had already been declared a fugitive before the night of the shooting adds another dimension to the case, as authorities examine how he came to be in the area.

The incident caused concern in the local community of eastern Attica, an area with intense tourist traffic in summer, where Anavyssos is a popular destination for seaside entertainment. The arrests of the owner and his wife for possible suppression of evidence highlight the issue of responsibility of catering and entertainment businesses in the face of incidents of violence within or near their premises. The involvement of a name known in Greek criminal journalism, such as that of Alket Rizai, intensifies interest in the case and raises questions about how fugitive prisoners escape control during periods of leave. In parallel, the health status of the two injured, the 20-year-old Greek and the 41-year-old foreign national, remains ongoing, with the authorities having announced no new details on the severity of their injuries. For residents and visitors to the area, the case serves as a reminder of the dangers that can lurk even in places of entertainment that are considered safe.

The manhunt for the capture of Alket Rizai continues, with police authorities having intensified investigations in the broader region of eastern Attica and beyond. The two arrested are expected to be brought before a prosecutor, where they will be called to give their defence against the charges attributed to them, while the case file formed against them remains open for any additional evidence. According to reports so far, the Hellenic Police is examining material from security cameras and witness statements in order to fully clarify the chain of events that led to the shooting. The case is expected to develop in the coming days as authorities seek both to locate the fugitive and to carry out a thorough investigation of the role of each person involved, including the identity and position of the security employee who is reported to have fired the shots.