In a massive police operation, 47 people have been detained, including tax and bank employees, lawyers, journalists and a policeman. The system of four criminal groups engaged in money laundering, fraud, extortion and usury has been broken.

The bank sees the final default of Greece as a logical solution to today's debt crisis, which is only worsening rather than being solved. Investors will make a double profit from the low prices and the devaluation of the new currency, which will make loans cheaper.

Besides the incident with the police officer in civilian clothes the meeting was peaceful and had fairly low participation.

Authorities believe that the 58-year-old robber - "art lover" stole the paintings by Picasso, Mondrian and Moncalvo because of his extensive experience in similar thefts and similarities in the way of operation during the robberies.

Greek industrialists urge the government to act boldly and immediately, economists see two options for Athens - either to drastically reduce the purchasing power of the Greeks, or to obtain its own currency and to devalue it dramatically.