Man robbed bank with shotgun hidden in crutch

A man pretending to be diasbled has been charged with robbing a bank in northern Greece with a shotgun hidden in a crutch.



Police said the man's first attempt on the outskirts of Thessaloniki failed when his ploy got him to a teller without suspicion but the bank's safe was on a time delay.

Four days later, the ruse worked at a nearby bank and he made off with 12,000 euros. In both cases, the weapon was strapped to the inside of the one crutch he was using. Police later rerieved the crutch with the shotgun and another weapon.



Police said on Wednesday the 56-year-old suspect, a local baker who was not identified, said he was heavily in debt during Greece's economic crisis and used the stolen money to pay his creditors. He was charged with robbery and breaking firearms laws.