Spata: ‘The 23-Year-Old Threatened a Passenger with a Knife, He Said ‘I’ll F@@@ the Bastard’,’ Says Bus Driver

An unbelievable incident occurred yesterday (June 30, 2025) in Spata aboard an urban bus, where a passenger confronted a 23-year-old for smoking inside the vehicle — only for the young man to respond by pulling out a knife. The situation nearly escalated into a violent knife attack on route 304, shocking all those onboard. Speaking to Live News today, Tuesday, the bus driver recounted the heated exchange and how the 23-year-old refused to put out his cigarette. ‘He threatened the other passenger — I saw it in the mirror. He went toward the complainant,’ said the driver. ‘He sat in the back and lit a cigarette. I didn’t notice at first. The passenger came up and told me, ‘He pulled out a knife when we asked him to throw away the cigarette.’ I asked what he did, and he repeated, ‘He pulled out a knife.’ Afterward, the driver evacuated the bus and approached the 23-year-old calmly, urging him to stop smoking as it was against regulations. However, the suspect defiantly replied, ‘No, I will smoke,’ prompting the driver to say he would call the police. The young man then allegedly responded, ‘I don’t have a problem with you, driver, but I’ll f@@@ that bastard.’ The suspect had boarded the bus at the Makri stop in Artemida with other passengers, with nothing initially indicating the drama about to unfold. The bus driver immediately informed the station master about the presence of the knife and the threats being made. Through the Ariadni coordination center, the police unit DIAS was alerted. The station master explained that Ariadni is the police coordination center responsible for handling such incidents. Eventually, the 23-year-old got off at the Kazantzakis stop and boarded the next bus like nothing had happened — accompanied by other passengers. Approximately 10–12 minutes later, the bus was stopped, and police entered and located the suspect. Initially, they couldn’t find the knife, but later discovered it hidden under a seat. Members of the DIAS unit arrested the suspect, who has prior arrests, including for robbery.