Italy: 7 people arrested on suspicion of robbing ATMs with explosives

Carabinieri officers from the Vasto company have arrested seven people suspected of being members of a group that robbed ATMs and bank counters using explosives. The arrests were carried out following precautionary measures ordered by the court.

The investigation, dubbed “DEVICE,” began after an attack on a bank counter in Gissi in July 2025. During the investigation, authorities also documented 12 other robberies carried out between January and September 2025 in the provinces of Chieti, Avellino, Campobasso and Potenza.

The group is suspected of having obtained around 220,000 euros from these criminal incidents. According to investigators, the targets were identified in advance, while the attacks were carefully organized. Stolen or rented vehicles were used for transportation, while communication was conducted through phones registered in other people’s names.

The seven arrested individuals face, depending on the role they are suspected of having played, charges of aggravated and continuous theft committed in cooperation, as well as the manufacture, possession and carrying of weapons or explosives. At this stage, investigators say they have found no evidence linking the group to a criminal organization.