Police say the group is linked to at least 11 ATM blasts in Thessaloniki and Serres, with authorities seizing weapons and uncovering nearly half a million euros in stolen cash.

Starting August 11, ATM withdrawals from Greek banks will be free of charge, following a new government regulation aimed at eliminating excessive fees and ensuring nationwide access to cash without unfair costs. A national cap for third-party ATMs is also set

The measure came in the wake of sharp criticism of a Greek systemic bank’s recent sell-off of a large portion of its ATMs – approximately 850

Pierrakakis condemned the practice by Piraeus Bank of selling ATMs to third-party operators who then imposed extra fees on bank customers.

Currently, three Greek banks have rolled out ATMs that support this feature, with more expected to follow as the demand for contactless services continues to grow

The measure comes after a finance ministry decision last month eliminating or reducing many of the online fees, and after repeated warnings by the Mitsotakis government to bank managements