The perpetrators of the armed robbery that took place on Monday morning at a bank branch in Tithorea are currently being held at Athens General Police Directorate.

Four men and one woman were arrested at the scene, falling into the hands of the Hellenic Police just minutes after the raid on the bank in Phthiotis during an operation by the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime.

Three more individuals — two men and one woman — are also being held at GADA, bringing the total number of arrests to eight.

The robbers’ Kalashnikov rifles had bullets in the chamber, but the determination of the police officers did not allow the suspects to use them.

Immediately after the armed raid on the bank in Tithorea, local police authorities were reinforced by units from Athens, specifically from the Burglary Division. Heavily armed officers began sweeping the roads after they managed to locate the suspects’ stolen silver vehicle. They followed it, but the criminals attempted to escape by speeding through rural roads.

The forces of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime were determined not to let them escape this time and trapped the vehicle in a dead-end road.

There, the robbers exited the vehicle holding Kalashnikov rifles and aimed them at the officers.

Realizing they no longer had any possibility of escape, they decided to surrender. Police officers handcuffed them and, under conditions of extreme secrecy, transported them to GADA, taking them up to the Burglary Division offices using the elevators reserved for security commanders rather than the main entrance.

It was important for investigators to gain as much time as possible in order to carry out raids at the homes of those arrested.

Apart from the robbery in Tithorea, authorities believe the same suspects were also involved in the 2025 robbery in Katochi Mesolongiou, where they held employees and customers hostage.

Genetic material and fingerprints from the arrested individuals will be analyzed as a priority in order to determine in which other cases they may have been involved.

The arrest of the robbers without a single shot being fired and without anyone being injured is considered a success for the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, which had to confront suspects armed even with grenades.

Investigations also continued in Athens, where three more people were arrested.

Weapons and vehicles have also been located. Authorities found Kalashnikov rifles, a Scorpion submachine gun, grenades, and pistols in the suspects’ possession.

Official announcements from the Hellenic Police are expected in the coming hours.

According to reports, eight people were arrested and transferred to GADA, including two women.

Weapons and vehicles were found in their possession.