Two arrested over failed armed holdup have records with counter-terror unit

Two suspects arrested in northern Greece on Wednesday in connection with an attempted armed holdup of a money delivery van at Thessaloniki's AHEPA Hospital have criminal records and are known to the country's counter-terrorism authorities.

According to initial reports, one of the suspects, aged 40, had been arrested in January 2006 over an armed robbery at a bank on Solonos Street in downtown Athens and was identified as part of a gang that had carried out at least seven bank heists from 2002 to 2006. Nevertheless, the 40-year-old, whose name has not been made public, was convicted only for the Solonos Street robbery and was released from prison a few years ago after serving only a part of his 25-year sentence.

The second suspect arrested on Wednesday, aged 35, had been initially arrested during a crackdown on the Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire terrorist group in the...