Greek police arrest ATM‑bombing gang leader

The Directorate for the Combating of Organized Crime (DAOE) arrested a 32‑year‑old alleged leader of a criminal gang on the afternoon of 7 July 2026. The suspect is accused of heading a network that has carried out at least nine ATM explosions, three vehicle thefts, two licence‑plate thefts and other robberies across the Greek provinces since February 2025.

Investigators say the gang used stolen cars as “operational” vehicles, heavy weapons, electric cutting wheels and homemade explosive devices to breach ATM cash boxes and seize the money, earning more than €440,000 in illegal proceeds. To evade detection they avoided mobile‑phone use and employed specialised equipment to tamper with vehicles and obscure forensic traces. Police seized two operational cars, a drone, dozens of phones and SIM cards, cutting tools and 26 g of raw cannabis.

The group also fired at police during a July 2025 incident in Argolida after an ATM blast. The suspect, previously arrested for similar offences in 2021, has been handed over to the prosecutor and remains under investigation for the full scope of the gang’s activities.