Greek police arrest suspect over letter bomb attacks

A 29-year-old person was arrested in Athens on suspicions of participating in a letter bomb attack against former Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos earlier this year and similar attacks across Europe, Greek national news agency AMNA reported on Sunday.

According to police sources, counter terrorism investigators have found explosive materials, guns and ammunition at the suspect's apartment in central Athens and the search continues.

No official announcements have been made yet, but according to police sources the man is suspected of having links to the extremist group "Conspiracy of the Nuclei of Fire" and taking part in the May 25 attack and a series of other such attacks against targets in other European countries.

On May 25 this year Papademos and two security officers who escorted him were injured when a booby trapped letter went off inside the car they were riding in central Athens.

The former premier was hospitalized for a month in an Athens hospital after suffering injuries to the chest, abdomen and legs.

He had served as interim prime minister from November 2011 to May 2012 and also as Governor of the central Bank of Greece (1994-2002) and vice-president of the European Central Bank (2002-2010).

No group has claimed responsibility for this attack so far, but suspicions fall on domestic extremist groups who for several years have been attacking political, financial and police targets.

In recent years "Conspiracy of the Nuclei of Fire" has claimed responsibility for a series of such attacks with booby-trapped envelopes which have been sent to European leaders.

In March this year the group claimed responsibility for a package with explosives found at the German Finance Ministry. Another booby-trapped envelope attributed to the group slightly injured an employee at the International Monetary Fund's premises in Paris a few hours later, while similar parcels were sent to other European officials.

Source: Xinhua