A Thessaloniki court passed down heavy sentences yesterday on a police officer and three accomplices found guilty of carrying out a daring bank heist in the northern city that netted them 2.8 million euros.

The 45-year-old officer was given a 20-year jail sentence for his part in the October 2007 raid, which became known as “the robbery of the century,” while two of his accomplices – a bank employee and a barman – got life terms. The fourth accomplice got 14 years. According to court sources, leniency was shown to the police officer, even though he had played a leading role in the robbery, as he reportedly has shown evidence of remorse since the crime.

All four men told the court that they had decided to rob the branch of Alpha Bank because they were deep in debt after falling victim to usury rings.