Frame from camera footage showing the murder of Vangelis Zampounis outside a gas station in Neos Kosmos, in the early hours of January 14, 2024.
Nine people have been ordered to stand trial before a three-judge felony appeals court in Athens over the killing of Vangelis Zampounis, a figure known in underworld circles as “Zambon,” whose fatal shooting authorities say reflects a broader conflict within Greece’s organized crime networks.
According to the indictment, Zampounis was killed outside his fuel station in the Neos Kosmos district of Athens in the early hours of January 14, 2024, when gunmen fired 97 rounds at him. Prosecutors say the case is linked to a struggle over cigarette smuggling and control of parts of the nighttime economy.
The referral order outlines investigators’ view of an ongoing war within the so-called Greek Mafia, involving shifting alliances and rival groups. Central to that assessment is a Russian-speaking criminal organization allegedly led by a man known as “Entik” or “Voice,” a 50-year-old ethnic Georgian who had been living in Dubai. Police sources cited in the case file say information indicates he has recently been detained there.
Judges found sufficient evidence to send eight of the nine defendants to trial for the killing. The indictment states they repeatedly fired Kalashnikov-style rifles and a pistol at Zampounis, killing him.
