Police are expecting to have a clearer picture by the end of the week about who is responsible for carrying out a series of raids on cash machines on Crete, as they continue to sift through the records of some 3,500 mobile phone calls, sources said yesterday.

Hundreds of thousands of euros have been stolen in recent months by a gang that conducted crude raids on ATMs, yanking them out of bank walls using mechanical diggers.

But a high-ranking officer told Kathimerini that police expect to be in a position to issue arrest warrants before the weekend.

Authorities believe that at least three of the suspects linked to the ATM raids were also involved in the ambush of police officers outside the village of Zoniana last month. They are hoping that mobile phone records will provide the evidence they are seeking.

Robbers on Crete have stolen more than 10 ATMs this year.

The tactic has prompted banks to reduce the amount of money they load into the cash machines.