Alket Rizai is again wanted by the Greek Police, after he failed to return to Domokos prison after his leave expired. The Albanian convict is suspected of being involved in a shooting incident in the early hours of Sunday, September 13, in Anavyssos, and has not returned to his cell since then. This was the 17th leave that Rizai had received since 2021. On the previous 16 occasions, he had returned to prison, while this time he decided not to appear at the scheduled time.
But this is not the first sensational escape of Alket Rizai. He has escaped from Korydallos prison by helicopter twice, together with the most wanted Greek Vasilis Paleokostas, causing one of the biggest security scandals in the Greek penitentiary system. Alket Rizai, born on May 24, 1978 in Balchik, Albania, became known to the Greek authorities in the early 90s for drug-related matters. In 2003, he is suspected of planning the murder of Greek businessman Thanasis Koropiotis, following a misunderstanding involving his partner. According to the investigation, Rizai and his associates took the victim to a wooded area in Northeastern Attica, where he was killed and his body later disappeared.
Rizai was arrested about a month later, in an apartment in Nea Filadelfia.
The first helicopter escape
On June 4, 2006, Rizai escaped from Korydallos prison by helicopter, together with Vasilis Paleokostas. The spectacular escape caused strong reactions in Greece and raised serious questions about prison security measures. During the period he was on the run, on August 26, 2006, Rizai is accused of killing 43-year-old Konstantinos Koutelieris and 36-year-old Ioannis Katsios in Peristeri. According to the investigation, the murders were carried out on the orders of one of the powerful figures of the Greek mafia, Vasilis Stefanakos. Rizai was arrested a few days later. But history repeated itself. On February 22, 2009, he escaped again by helicopter from Korydallos, again together with Paleokostas. After several months on the run, Rizai was arrested in Grammatiko.
Hostage taking in Malandrino prison
In 2013, Rizai attempted another escape, this time by taking five prison officers hostage in Malandrino. After about 24 hours of negotiations, he finally surrendered to the authorities. In January 2021, after having received five days of leave from prison, he was arrested again after being caught driving a BMW vehicle, along with two people considered dangerous, during a random traffic stop.
Rizai has been sentenced to life imprisonment twice by the Five-Judge Criminal Appeals Court of Piraeus for the murders of Konstantinos Koutelieris and Ioannis Katsios. For the helicopter escape from Korydallos, he has also received a total sentence of 25 years in prison. The latest incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, outside a beach bar in Anavyssos. Rizai was outside the prison on leave when he allegedly became involved in the gunfight. Greek police are examining security camera footage and evidence collected at the scene to determine what happened. Two people were injured during the incident. Rizai was due to return to Domokos prison on Monday morning, September 14, but did not show up. For this reason, he has been declared wanted and Greek police have launched an operation to find and arrest him.
