A 38-year-old woman who died on Saturday morning in an explosion outside a bank in central Thessaloniki was associated with a known imprisoned anarchist and convicted bank robber, according to police and Ministry of Citizen Protection sources.
The woman was reportedly part of the anarchist’s circle, who has previously faced charges for bomb attacks and armed robberies in both Thessaloniki and Athens. Among the incidents linked to the group was the mailing of a parcel bomb to the Thessaloniki Court of Appeal in February 2024.
Authorities say the group had been the subject of a counter-terrorism investigation during the same year.
The 38-year-old woman had previously been arrested alongside the anarchist following a bank robbery in September 2021. She was found carrying a Kalashnikov rifle in a backpack at the time and was later incarcerated. The robbery occurred on Mitropoleos Street in Monastiraki, with the arrests made shortly after on Katechaki Avenue as the suspects exited a taxi.
According to police, the explosive device detonated in the woman’s hands as she attempted to place it at the bank branch. Investigators are currently exploring two possible motives: either a politically symbolic act targeting the ATM or an attempt to extract cash from the machine.
The case is being handled by the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, with support from the Counter-Terrorism Service.
