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Albanian national arrested in relation to prominent attorney’s contract-style murder

A 32-year-old Albanian national was arrested in the western port city of Patras over the weekend on charges related to the recent gangland-style slaying of a prominent defense attorney in Athens, police announced on Tuesday.

The suspect was arrested in a gypsy settlement near the city and was planning to return to Albania either directly through the border with Greece or via Italy.

Authorities have reportedly collected detailed information on the identity of the two perpetrators, one of whom fatally shot Michalis Zafiropoulos in his central Athens office on Oct. 12.

The man in custody was also identified as a fugitive, having escaped from a correctional facility in Greece.

The same reports state that the second suspect has already fled to Albania, although his identity is known, which means an arrest warrant will be conveyed to Albanian authorities.

An intense investigation is underway to uncover whether the shooting was a contract killing, itself part of a clash between underworld criminal gangs.