Malkoun was a largely silent, “low-profile” gym goer, and "didn’t give out any vibes, positive or negative,” he said. “He just exercised. I remember his white AMG Mercedes, the one that burned. But he just worked out and left, really.” Macris had also kept to himself and Levas couldn’t recall the pair ever talking. The gym is in a well-off coastal suburb, and its clientele include “extremely wealthy” customers: businesspeople, celebrities, singers, sportspeople and models, Levas said.

Four other cars were scorched by the explosion and the police bomb squad found residue of an explosive device near Malkoun's car. Loading Malkoun's injuries included burns to his hands and feet. He was taken for immediate surgery at the Asklipieio General Hospital in Voula, a town to the south of the Greek capital. Doctors said post-surgery he was in a serious but stable condition. "His life is not in danger. He has some injuries in his legs and hands," a spokesperson for the Athens police chief said. "The first elements [of the investigation] shows a use of an IED."

The spokesman said police did not yet know if there was a connection between the two attacks. "It is too early to connect this incident with another case, as you understand it's an ongoing investigation." Malkoun, 56, was reportedly living in the nearby ritzy seaside suburb of Glyfada, known as the Hellenic Hamptons. Forensic experts examine the scene of the blast in the upscale Glyfada area . Credit:AP It's believed he had established a power base in Greece in alliance with Russian gang members.

A Greek police source confirmed the victim was Malkoun, who came to Greece two years ago after a stint in Russia. The explosion shook Glyfada just after 10am. Malkoun had just finished an hour's morning training in his local gym and had opened the door of the Mercedes-AMG and sat in the driver's seat. Loading When he started the ignition, the car exploded and was quickly wrapped in flames. According to eyewitness reports, Malkoun was saved by two passing young men who opened the burning car door and dragged him out as it was engulfed in flames.

Sammy, an Australian who had just arrived in Athens on a working holiday, saw the explosion from the balcony of his apartment, about two kilometres away. The 25-year-old said he was looking out from his balcony when he heard a loud “rumbling” bang. “In my line of sight I saw a big plume of grey smoke shoot up in the air,” he said. “I didn’t know what it was, I wondered if it was a factory explosion or a building being demolished. “Five to 10 seconds later after that thick black smoke started pouring out of where it was. It was clear there was some sort of serious fire. It lasted five minutes before I started to hear a tonne of sirens.”

Police officers went to the hospital to talk to the victim, while officers took statements from his associates. Police believe Malkoun has been living in Greece for the past two years and went to the gym almost every day. They were speaking to witnesses on Friday and searching for CCTV footage from nearby stores to try to determine who placed the explosive device and when - and what their escape route was. Police have found remnants of the explosive devise and believe the mechanism was activated by remote control. Traces of dynamite were found in the car. Malkoun’s luxury car had Australian licence plates, and his driving licence had been issued by the United Arab Emirates, Ekathimerini reported. Malkoun has no police record in Greece.

Last year, police in Australia said he was still an influential figure in the Comancheros, whose associates were involved in a factional war that was playing out on Melbourne’s streets. In 2015, Malkoun reportedly fled from Thailand to Dubai, where his family had been living since he resigned as Comanchero president in 2013. Loading He had been questioned as a witness by Thai police in relation to the abduction and murder of international drug trafficker Wayne Rodney Schneider. Last November, another Australian gangster, John Macris, was shot dead in an ambush in the Athens suburb of Voula. The Sydney underworld figure was ambushed outside his seaside villa and shot multiple times at close range.