A man was arrested yesterday after he attempted to rob a bank in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) with a BB gun and a fake grenade, police said.
The 30-year-old suspect surnamed Lin (林) arrived at a CTBC Bank on Zhongxiao E Road at 3:32pm wearing a mask, and pulled out a “gun” and a “grenade,” saying: “I just want money. Give me the money and I will not hurt you,” according to police investigations.
The branch manager, surnamed Yu (余), feared Lin would become more agitated and moved to comply, police said.
Photo: CNA
Lin then held the gun against her and ordered the bank personnel to place the cash in a suitcase, police quoted witnesses as saying.
Bank employees packed about NT$10 million (US$317,299) in cash into the suitcase and handed it over to the suspect, police said.
Police from the Dunhua S Road precinct who were alerted of the situation quickly reached the bank, police added.
Police precinct chief Lu Cheng-long (呂政隆) said the suspect was highly agitated when the police arrived.
Lu engaged Lin in a calm conversation in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, police said, adding that the chief determined that the gun and grenade the suspect was holding were toy replicas.
That information was relayed to other officers, who then moved in and subdued Lin, police said.
Taipei Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien (林炎田) was also at the scene and said Lin said he was having financial difficulties.
Police from the Daan Precinct received the report at 3:32pm, arrived at the scene by 3:35pm and subdued the suspect by 3:50pm, he said.
An initial investigation found no evidence of accomplices, and authorities would continue reviewing surveillance footage to clarify the case, he added.
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