The Commander of the Aigialeia Crime Investigation and Detection Division, Iordanis Magerakis, has revealed exclusively to The Greek Herald how Greek police tracked down and arrested alleged fugitive James Dalamangas after nearly three decades on the run.
Dalamangas, 55, appeared before a court in Patras on Monday after being arrested in the Peloponnese town of Aigio, where authorities allege he had been living under a false identity for years.
Australian authorities are seeking his extradition over the alleged fatal stabbing of Sydney man George Giannopoulos during a violent altercation at the Pariziana nightclub in Belmore on Anzac Day in 1999.
Appearing in court wearing a bulletproof vest and escorted by police, Dalamangas reportedly maintained his innocence. Greek media outlets alleged he had been living under the alias “Antonis Tzimas” and was known locally as a quiet olive grove farmer.
Greek police reportedly placed the property where he was living under surveillance before arresting him as he left the residence with family members. Local reports claim officers also detained his father and partner for allegedly harbouring a fugitive.
‘Antonis, Australian, tattoo’
Speaking to The Greek Herald, Mr Magerakis detailed the operation which ultimately led to the arrest.
“The three important pieces of information we had in our hands were: ‘Antonis, Australian, tattoo’. We knew there was an Australian man in the area who introduced himself as ‘Antonis’ and was involved in the olive oil trade,” he said.
“Some necessary telephone calls were made and we managed to locate his residence. Our officers were positioned for three days and waited for Dalamangas to come out of his house. Entering the house would have been an operation with great risk, due to the vast area behind the residence which could have given him the opportunity to escape.
“So we waited for him to come out, which eventually happened. There, we carried out a routine identification check and from the moment we saw that he did not have the necessary documents, he was taken to the station.
“All’s well that ends well. The decision we made to wait for him proved wise and thus we were led, with absolute discretion, to an arrest which we hope will ease the pain of some people searching for justice after so many years.”
Mr Magerakis also publicly praised his officers following the arrest.
“A family on the other side of the planet had been searching for answers for 27 whole years,” he wrote on social media.
“Those answers were given today by the Crime Investigation and Detection Department of Aigialeia.
“I bow to my colleagues for the many-day police operation, which brought the desired result – the arrest of the wanted man.”
Giannopoulos family thanks investigators
The Giannopoulos family welcomed the arrest and thanked both Greek and Australian authorities for their persistence in pursuing the case over many years.
“In particular, we would like to acknowledge Commander Iordanis Magerakis and his team for their dedication and commitment in helping bring about this significant development,” the family said in a statement.
“We are especially grateful to Grant Taylor (NSW Police) and his team for their support and persistence over many years.”
The family added: “While today’s arrest cannot undo the pain our family has endured since George Giannopoulos was taken from us in Sydney in 1999, it provides hope that justice may finally be within reach.”
Years on the run
Dalamangas has allegedly been on the run for 27 years after leaving Australia shortly after the incident. Previous attempts to extradite him from Greece in 2003 were unsuccessful, while Greek authorities later pursued the case domestically before he allegedly evaded prosecutors.
As he left the courthouse, Dalamangas reportedly shouted: “Justice for Peter Dalamangas,” referring to his younger brother, who died following an incident involving security guards at Sydney’s Star City Casino in 1998.
Reporting by The Greek Herald indicates that police allegedly found a bow above his bed, along with several daggers, during a search of the property in Greece. Large dogs were also reportedly kept on the premises, making any operation inside the residence more difficult.
The Australian Federal Police renewed a $200,000 reward for information leading to Dalamangas’ arrest in 2024 and previously released an age-progressed image as part of ongoing international efforts to locate him.
Dalamangas is expected to return to court in Greece later this week as extradition proceedings continue.
