Police seek others in Tsoying robbery

Naval base heist * Chi Chih and Chi Chung have been arrested. * NT$3.13 million was stolen. * NT$374,500 has been recovered.

Law enforcement officers in Kaohsiung yesterday said that they were trying to determine if navy personnel were involved in the robbery of the Land Bank of Taiwan's branch inside the navy complex in Tsoying on June 11.

A special task force, consisting of Kaohsiung police, military police and military prosecutors, is still investigating the NT$3.13 million theft, even though two of the four major suspects were arrested last weekend.

Under arrest are Chi Chih (齊智), 26, who was stationed at Tsoying during his compulsory military service four years ago, and his younger brother Chi Chung (齊忠), 23.

Two other men, identified by their surnames -- Chang and Kang -- remain at large.

The task force discovered that the brothers made several phone calls to the military complex through the base's operators before June 11, which is why investigators suspect there might be another suspect who is on active duty.

"It is logical and reasonable suspicion, but we need further investigation to confirm and identify the person they talked to as well as what was discussed," said Hu Mu-yuan (胡木源), a captain in the Kaohsiung City Police Department's Criminal Investigation Corp.

"We are still not sure whether this man is also one of them [the suspects]," Hu said.

The police said that Chi Chih's fingerprints were found on envelope that had contained a pistol used in the robbery. The envelope had been left at the bank.

"When we reviewed the bank's security video, we discovered that Chi Chih was holding an envelope and he took a pistol from the envelope when the robbery began," Hu said.

"He left the envelope at the bank but he did not know he also left his fingerprints on it. That was why we could identify him and his younger brother, although all three robbers wore masks," Hu said.

Police arrested Chi Chung at a friend's apartment in Tsoying around 7pm on Saturday and discovered NT$374,500 in cash there as well.

Chi Chih was arrested at a hostess bar in Tsoying around 12:45am Sunday. He reportedly confessed immediately to the theft, telling officers that he owed NT$1.5 million to Chang. He told them that it why he agreed to the robbery when Chang proposed it.

The Kaohsiung District Court approved prosecutors' request to detain Chi Chih but decided to release Chi Chung on NT$50,000 bail on Sunday.

According to the police, Chi Chih said that he gave NT$500,000 to his younger brother and kept NT$500,000 while Chang and Kang took the rest of the money.