A man was arrested this morning after robbing a bank in New Taipei’s Banciao District (板橋), wielding scissors stolen from a steamed bun stall next door.
Police received the report at approximately 11am this morning that a man was robbing Taishin Bank’s Ban’nan Branch on Guanqian East Road.
The 50-year-old man, surnamed Wang (王), entered the bank wielding the scissors and demanded money. After taking NT$400,000 (US$12,668.86), he did not flee and instead sat down and slowly counted the cash during several minutes.
Photo: Hsu Sheng-lun, Taipei Times
Police arrived in time to apprehend him, pushing him to the floor and securing the weapon.
Wang did not resist arrest and nobody was injured.
Wang told police that he knew it was easy to get caught robbing a bank, but he had no money to rent an apartment or buy food.
Ahead of Friday’s Dragon Boat Festival, he was anxious about spending another holiday with no money, he said.
He added that he knew a bank robbery would lead to a quick arrest and he wanted to eat free meals in prison.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and theft, and the case has been transferred to prosecutors.
Before this morning’s robbery, he asked the steamed bun stall next to the branch to borrow a kitchen knife, and when the vendor refused, he instead stole a pair of scissors from under their nose.
He then entered the bank alone, wielding the scissors, and pushed a customer aside who was waiting at the service counter.
He shouted at employees to hand over cash, and the teller complied while calling the police on an emergency hotline.
Wang has multiple prior criminal convictions for robbery and theft.
Last year, while also short on cash, he stole betel nuts from a betel nut store and was later found by police, who transferred the case to prosecutors.
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