A Romanian man wanted for traffic offenses was arrested in Greece while traveling to Mount Athos

A 44-year-old Romanian man wearing priestly robes was arrested on Saturday, October 17, 2026, in the town of Ouranoupoli in the Halkidiki region, while heading to Mount Athos. Greek police discovered that Romanian authorities had issued a European arrest warrant for him.

The man had been sentenced in Romania to one year, five months and 20 days in prison for driving without a license on two occasions. The first incident occurred in 2023, in Constanța County, and the second in 2025, in Vaslui County. Following the conviction, Romania requested that he serve his sentence and be surrendered to the Romanian authorities.

On Monday, October 19, the Romanian man was brought before prosecutors in Thessaloniki for proceedings concerning the European arrest warrant. He stated that he opposed extradition. Greek justice officials requested additional documents to determine whether the acts also constitute offenses under Greek law or are considered merely administrative violations. Until a decision is made, the man will remain in the custody of the Greek authorities.