Eight suspects arrested last week in connection with a series of bank heists on Crete are expected to complete their depositions today, according to police.

The suspects, seven of whom are from Zoniana, began giving their depositions before an investigating magistrate yesterday.

Among those arrested is a woman believed to be the wife of a key suspect involved in the bank thefts who is currently in custody on drug charges.

Police have stepped up investigations in the broader area on Crete after a series of recent bank robberies and thefts from cash machines.

On a number of occasions, the thieves carried away the ATM by lifting it onto a small truck using a crane and emptying its contents in a remote mountainous area.

The suspects are believed to have been responsible for six bank robberies, including a December 2006 heist at an ATEbank branch, which was also marked by violence as the suspects allegedly attacked people who tried to stop them.