An armed bank robbery that took place in Velestino on Wednesday bears many similarities to a series of bank robberies committed by militant groups in recent years, such as in Paros, Velvento and Filota.
The four bank robbers wore wigs and large sunglasses, carried pistols and took off with about 400,000 euros. Eye-witness reports suggest that two of the robbers are aged 22-25 and the other two are around 30 years old. The robbers’ getaway vehicle, which had been reported stolen from Egaleo in Athens a few days prior, was later found burned down, just off the national high way.
According to the police report one of the robbers appears to have calmed bystanders in the bank that “they should not be afraid, they only want to rob the bank, not ordinary citizens”. This is a common theme in many armed robberies where SPF and other militant leftist groups have been implicated.
With no information on the possible operation of a four-member criminal gang in Central Greece, the Police suspect that the robbery is related to the operation of a leftist militant group, as part of a publicized reprisals plan.
