Mystery heist : how did robber steal US$22,000 from Singapore bank armed with nothing more than a piece of paper?
A police spokesman confirmed the robbery and said no weapon was used, but gave no details of the note’s contents
PUBLISHED : Friday, 08 July, 2016, 4:01pm
UPDATED : Friday, 08 July, 2016, 4:01pm
Agence France-Presse
Singapore police said on Friday they are hunting a man who managed to steal more than US$22,000 from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper.
The suspect, described as Caucasian, strolled into a Standard Chartered branch in Holland Village, an expatriate enclave of the city, around lunchtime on Thursday and handed staff a note with his demands.
Minutes later, he walked out of the branch with S$30,000 (HK$172,500) in cash, a source close to the investigation said.
A police spokesman confirmed the robbery and said no weapon was used, but gave no details of the note’s contents.
One resident, who lives in the Chip Bee Gardens estate across the street, told The Straits Times that police visited his home with a picture of the suspect. He was described as Caucasian and dressed in a grey hoodie and mustard trousers.
In a statement later, a Standard Chartered Bank spokesman said that no employee or customer was injured in the incident.
The spokesman added that the bank has filed a police report and is assisting with investigations.
“We would like to highlight that the safety of our customers and staff are our top priority and our branch staff are all well trained to react in such situations,” the spokesman said.
Bank robberies are rare in Singapore, whose tough stance against crime and strict ban on private gun ownership have made it one of Asia’s safest cities.
The last attempt was in November 2008 when a man disguised himself as a woman threatened tellers with what he called a “bomb” in a paper bag. He was restrained by bank staff and arrested.
