SERBIAN PINK PANTHERS CAUGHT IN CROATIA AND BULGARIA: Wanted for a robbery worth over 500,000 euros!

Members of the notorious criminal organization “Pink Panther” are behind the armed robbery of a jewelry store in a hotel in Sani, Halkidiki, which took place in September last year, and the loot included jewelry and watches worth 580,000 euros, Protothema reports.

After a months-long investigation by experienced police officers from the Department for Combating Organized Crime of Northern Greece, two Serbian citizens, aged 48 and 46, were identified. European arrest warrants were issued for them, based on which they were arrested in Bulgaria and Croatia.

These are members of a criminal organization that operates within Balkan international criminal groups and organizations, known as the “Pink Panthers.” This gang specializes in jewelry store robberies, which are characterized by a high degree of organization, adaptability, and constantly evolving methods of operation. Its members have a weakness for jewelry and luxury watches of great value from famous jewelry stores across Europe.

The robbery in Halkidiki

The armed robbery of the jewelry store in Halkidiki occurred on September 2nd around noon. The two perpetrators, after stealing the loot, disappeared in just a few minutes, which shows that the action was carefully planned, both in the approach and in the escape.

The investigation by the Greek police, conducted in cooperation with foreign police authorities and Europol, confirmed that four members of the gang stayed on Greek territory from August 20th to September 2nd, 2025, solely for the purpose of robbing the jewelry store in Sani.

The gang members entered the country at different times, used forged travel documents, and rented vehicles on which they placed stolen license plates to make their detection by the authorities more difficult.

Before the robbery, they carried out multiple reconnaissances of the area and planned the action in detail, while they used both vehicles and electric scooters for the arrival and escape.

During the robbery, the 48-year-old, together with an unknown accomplice, held two employees at gunpoint and stole luxury watches and jewelry with a total value of 579,805.75 euros. At the same time, the 46-year-old, together with an unknown woman, had a support role, pretending to be customers and monitoring the surroundings.

It is noted that the 48-year-old was already known in Switzerland for burglaries, while the involvement of both suspects in similar armed robberies in other European countries during 2024 and 2025 is being examined.

Following the arrests, a decision by the competent judicial authorities regarding their extradition to Greece is expected.