Nikos Paleokosta’s life

Born in a village of Trikala, Nikos Paleokostas –who left at the age of 65– He became known all over Greece for the robberies he did with his brother, as well as the money he was flying on the road. Also, the Paleokosta brothers had starred in the Police Bulletin with the kidnapping of industrialist Alexandros Haitoglou.

Nikos Paleokosta’s « entrance » to illegality

In 1979, at the age of 19, Nikos Paleokostas decides to become a sailor and « barking » by boat, but after a while he will return to Trikala.

Since the 1980s in the area of ​​illegality, he had created a team with the participation of- beyond his own- his brother, Vasilis and Kostas Samaras, who was one of the most famous burglars of the time.

One of the first « hits » of the team was the accounting office of an agricultural cooperative just outside Kozani.

But the team’s best -known robbery occurred in June 1992 with the three perpetrators hitting the National Bank branch in Kalambaka Trikala.

Initially the plan was to rob the EIB branch in Ptolemais, but due to the delay in theft of a vehicle, the plans changed, with Nikos Paleokostas throwing the idea of ​​Kalambaka.

There, Vasilis Paleokostas and Kostas Samaras will enter with two shorts, with Nikos Paleokostas remaining the bank’s entrance.

« Kostas remained to keep the entrance. I, as I was ahead of Nikos, take a short short and throw it at him. She catches her in the air. I take the other and start the festival.

« For anyone who didn’t understand, there is a robbery! The bank’s money came to take, not your lives. Don’t force us to do it. The bank will come back money, life never returns. Wise, let’s all go to our homes, etc. ”I headed to the treasurer and stuck his shorts on his head: » Open it now, because your mathematical mind will scatter the room.  » The Treasurer did not have the key to the safe, so the manager was recruited, who had it, to open it and reveal the packages of five -year -olds and thousands. At the same time that Vasilis was filling the sack, Nikos was joking with the customers, compliments the beautiful ladies and when they were done they did the obvious for themselves: « After first apologizing for the morning discomfort, we had a greeting. »

From the National Bank branch, the three robbers will leave 125,000,000 drachmas – which remains the highest robbery in Greece.

There would be more, but some of the money they took from the safe, scattered them on the street as they wanted to make upset to escape the police officers who were pursued.

This move, of course, continued in other robberies or thefts, made Nikos Paleokostas known as « Robin of the Poor ».

The name « Paleokostas » became known throughout the country through a kidnapping, which « played » quite a bit in the media. It was that of businessman Alexandros Haitoglou, which took place on December 15, 1995.

The Paleokosta team was watching Haitoglou for days, knowing that he used to go to school himself.

After stopping him, they put him in their vehicle and later contacted his brother, stressing that the Greek Police should not be involved.

The kidnappers, having denied the 2 million drachmas on Haitoglu on him, asked the family of the industrialist three million. After discussions, which were tension between Nikos and Vassilis Paleokosta, the deal closed at 270,000,000 drachmas with Kostas Haitoglou reaching Lamia to deliver the ransom.

Indeed, when the two men left the businessman at Karditsa KTEL, he said to them: « Kids, if it didn’t cost so much, I would like another adventure », with Vasilis Paleokostas answering that they would do him … the next time.

Nikos Paleokostas was in 1988 in Trikala Prison, where with the help of his brother, Basil managed to escape on December 18, 1988.

The moment that becomes known throughout Greece and monopolizes news releases for days will be another outbreak, Vasilis Paleokostas from Korydallou Prisons on June 4, 2006.

Then, Nikos Paleokostas will rent a helicopter, pretending to be the tourist who wants to admire Athens from above.

The helicopter by which Nikos Paleokostas reached the courtyard of the Korydallos prisons.

Shortly after taking off the helicopter, pilot Vassilis Karikis will feel a weapon stuck on his side and the passenger declaring him his real name. « I am Nikos Paleokostas and I am going to save my brother who counts 2,358 days in prison, » he said, with the destination changing the helicopter heading to Korydallos prisons.

The Eurocopter descended until the courtyard of the E ‘Wing of the Prison and was boarded by Vassilis Paleokostas and Alket Rizai.

Finally, Nikos Paleokostas will fall into the hands of police officers on September 13, 2006, when he meets ELAS block. In the village of Livadi in Parnassos and in his attempt to avoid them, he will lose control of the vehicle and go off the road.

One of the transfers of Nikos Paleokostas from prisons to the courts.

It is worth noting that he was wanted for 16 years and measured total convictions of 197 years and 376 months.

He was taken to the prisons of St. Stephen Patras, where he was released on October 6, 2021, with the Judicial Council accepting the execution of his sentence in home restriction for health reasons.

Recently, Nikos Paleokostas has been dialysis twice a week at the Artificial Kidney Unit and had a stroke.