Greek police were today interrogating a man believed to be a leader of November 17, Europe's most elusive terrorists who assassinated a British military attache.
Authorities did not officially identify the elderly man, snatched by police special forces from a passenger hydrofoil leaving the eastern Aegean island of Lipsi yesterday and flown to Athens by helicopter.
Police sources and state-run Greek media said he appeared to be named Mr Alexandros Giotopoulos (63) who presented himself as university professor.
The sources said they believed the man may be one of the founders of the rabidly anti-American terror group, which has eluded arrest for 27 years.
The capture of a senior November 17 figure would be a major breakthrough for the Greek police, who had failed to make any arrests since the group first appeared in 1975 with the assassination of Richard Welch, the CIA's station chief in Athens.
November 17 has claimed responsibility for 22 killings and dozens of bomb and rocket attacks since then. It has killed four American officials, two Turkish diplomats and Greek businessmen and politicians.
It's last victim was British defence attache Brigadier Stephen Saunders who was shot dead as he drove to work in Athens in June 2000.