A man has been convicted of planting an explosive device in the city centre. 

Nikolaos Karvounakis was arrested last year and his flat on Granton Road was searched by specialist officers. 

His arrest followed a the discovery of a homemade device near Princes Street Gardens in January 2018. 

The 35-year-old had written a note inside that said ‘F*** you all.’ 

At the High Court today he pled guilty to being in possession of items for a terrorist purpose.

A total of 71g of low explosive powder was found made up from match heads and sugar.

Karvounakis was arrested in the early hours of June 15 in 2021 by counter terrorism firearms officers at North Bridge in connection with a terrorism offence. 

Today Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston said: “Karvounakis showed a blatant disregard for members of the public by placing the IED indiscriminately within Princes Street Gardens. 

“Fortunately, it did not initiate, but his intention was clear and there was certainly the potential to cause significant, or even fatal, injury to innocent passers-by.

“I welcome his guilty plea and conviction which is testament to the perseverance of our diligent investigation team over the last four years.

“Since the discovery of the package, officers from Police Scotland’s Counter Terrorism Unit carried out extensive enquiries, including with European partners and law enforcement agencies. They were absolutely committed to the challenging inquiry to identify who was responsible.

“The successful conclusion of this investigation today has been founded on the strong co-operation and working closely with the Counter Terrorism Network across the UK and internationally.”

The former Greek serviceman will be sentenced at a later date. 

 The Crown has made a move to have him placed on a serious crime prevention order.