Armed robbers hold two guards hostage in failed Larissa ATM raid

The attempted raid

In the early hours of Sunday, 1 November, three to four armed men tried to enter the premises of a company on the Larissa-Ampelona road in Larissa, Greece. According to reports, their target was an ATM inside the business. A private security guard who alerted the police said the men opened fire on him while he sat in his vehicle. Two other private security guards were held hostage inside the building while the group tried to reach the machine.

Police response and escape

Police, alerted by the guard, sent strong forces to the site and launched a pursuit. The suspects reportedly left by car, leaving the two hostages behind. Media reports say the robbers took no money or other items. According to one report, the ATM only handled cash deposits, which the group apparently did not know beforehand.

The burned getaway car

The getaway vehicle was found burned later that morning in the Damasi area, where the suspects are believed to have abandoned it. Kathimerini reports that checks on the number plates showed they were fake and matched a different car. Police are investigating and searching for the armed suspects, trying to reconstruct their route after the vehicle was set alight. The sources report no arrests so far.

Who was affected

The guard who was shot at was in his own vehicle when the gunfire started, according to his account to police. The two guards held hostage were released when the suspects fled, leaving them in the building. No injuries were reported during the chase, which also passed without any shots striking a person according to the reports.