Two gangs that hide out on Mount Psiloritis on Crete are behind a spate of raids on ATMs on the island in which the cash machines have been yanked out of walls with 4x4 vehicles, police sources said yesterday.

The robbers have smashed open six ATMs in the last six months, netting them some 250,000 euros. All the raids have happened in villages or towns near the mountain, leading police to believe that the robbers are based somewhere in the area.

A number of suspects are being watched but sources said the police are not planning to make any arrests until they have more evidence.

It is believed that the two gangs do not work together as one set of robbers seems to have better planning and knowledge of what they are doing than the other.

However, they both use the same technique of tying a rope around the ATMs and pulling them out of the wall.

Police on Crete have advised banks to drill deeper holes into the ground to secure the cash machines and to make it difficult for vehicles to approach them.