An unbelievable scene unfolded yesterday afternoon in Thessaloniki when police officers on patrol in Dendropotamos spotted a vehicle driven by a 40-year-old foreign national.

As soon as the driver noticed the officers, he sped up, even performing dangerous maneuvers.

At some point, however, the 40-year-old’s car came to a stop when the engine caught fire. The police officers arrived at the scene immediately, but despite the fire that had broken out, the 40-year-old stubbornly refused to leave his car. Eventually, police officers extricated the driver from the burning vehicle, though he put up a fierce struggle during his arrest.

Police officers found two packages of raw cannabis nearby, which the suspect had discarded shortly before. The fire was extinguished by a Fire Department station. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a valid driver’s license, and he was fined a total of 7,325 euros for violations of the Highway Code. While at the police station, the 40-year-old man felt unwell and was transported by an EKAB ambulance to a hospital in the city, where he is currently being treated.

49-Year-Old Tried to Swallow Bags of Cocaine
Meanwhile, also yesterday in Dendropotamos, officers from the Crime Prevention and Suppression Division arrested a 49-year-old Greek national because, prior to an impending search of the vehicle in which he was riding as a passenger, he attempted to swallow a makeshift nylon package containing a small amount of cocaine, and he put up strong resistance during his arrest.