After a series of reported thefts, the Mayor of Zografou Kostas Kalliris decided to hire a security firm in order to police the local cemetery. At least 1,000 items have been stolen from graves, while the cemetery temple has been ransacked.
The thieves, who mostly strike at night, target oil lamps, incense burners and cabling used for lighting, which can then be sold on. Some have also reported that thieves have even gone so far as to steal flowers – carnations are popular in Greek night clubs. Similar cases have been reported in other cemeteries in Attica, such as in Papagou, Holargos and Agia Paraskevi.
The new security measures have garnered results, as the private security firm helped the Police in the arrest of three people who broke into the cemetery late at night.
