Police were at time of press last night pursuing a male suspect after an armed robbery at a Shilin District (士林) Taipei Star Bank (瑞興商業銀行) in Taipei, from which the suspect fled with NT$300,000 (US$9,956) cash.
The robbery occurred shortly after 1pm yesterday, when the suspect walked into the bank wearing a motorcycle helmet and a medical mask to conceal his face, witnesses said.
The suspect approached a bank teller, threw a tote bag on the counter and grabbed a female customer from behind and held a fruit knife against her throat.
The suspect allegedly shouted: “Give me the money,” which the bank teller did, placing the cash into the tote bag.
The suspect then ran out the door and rode away on a motorcycle that was parked nearby, witnesses said.
The bank teller said that she handed over the cash because she feared for the safety of the hostage.
Shilin Police Chief Chuang Ching-hsiung (莊清雄) asked for witnesses to provide police with details to help determine where the suspect might have fled.
“The suspect was wearing a motorcycle helmet and a surgical mask, a black T-shirt, blue jeans and white workman’s gloves. He is thought to be young, with a lean build and is about 170cm tall,” Chuang said.
He said the robbery took less than two minutes, adding that investigators were examining bank and street surveillance footage.
The suspect likely scouted out the bank, which lacked security, before the robbery, he said.
“We did not hire a security guard because it is a small bank and we have reinforced protective glass at the counter,” branch manager Hung Kuo-tsang (洪國蒼) said.
“The robbery took place during our lunch hour while most staff were on their break and only a few people were working,” Hung said.
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