Thanks for the Money - 'Polite' Bank Robbers Steal 36,000

Limassol police are hunting for three 'polite robbers' who stole 36,000 euros from a Hellenic Bank branch in Limassol on Spyros Kyprianou Avenue.

The men were armed with two knives and a fake gun and in a bizarre move, actually thanked the tellers who were forced to hand over the cash, said police. The robbery happened at 11am yesterday morning (August 29th) when the three robbers entered the bank and, speaking broken Greek, demanded money from bank employees.

According to police, two of the men were wearing red and white hats and the third man has black hair. All three are foreigners, said investigators.

Bank robberies have unfortunately become quite common in recent years, partly because of the economic crisis and partly because of organised crime. Usually no one is hurt during the robberies, but there is an increased sense of insecurity in banks these days, and many of them have taken precautions like installing security doors to control access to the building.

It is not the first time branches of Hellenic Bank in Limassol have been targeted. In 2010, robbers got away with 25,000 euros from a branch on Franklin Roosevelt Avenue.

The bank that was robbed yesterday is in a busy shopping area near Carrefour Supermarket, with many small shops lining the main avenue. Police said the robbers disappeared after running off in a westerly direction and have not yet been found.