Armed robber steals NT$1.21m

By Chang Che-hsuan, Wu Chia-jung and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer





An armed man yesterday robbed the Taiwan Cooperative Bank’s (合庫銀行) Shalu District (沙鹿) branch in Taichung, making off with NT$1.21 million (US$39,393), the bank said.

According to affidavits by bank tellers, the armed man entered the bank at about 10:30am yesterday and allegedly fired a shot before warning everyone not to move.

The man left the bank on foot with the money stuffed in a plastic bag and got on a scooter on Jhennan Road, the bank tellers said.

A man suspected of robbing Taiwan Cooperative Bank’s Shalu Branch in Taichung rides a scooter in a surveillance camera image taken yesterday. Photo: CNA

One of the male tellers had attempted to waylay the robber with a bat on Jhennan Road, but missed as the robber rode away, police said.

While police officers from Shalu Police Station gave chase, they were unable to apprehend the robber, police said.

The robber is still at large and police would soon release more information on the robbery, police added.

The bank said that none of its clients or staff was injured during the robbery.

Hung Yung-hua (洪永華), a local resident at the bank on business, said that most of the people there at the time were looking at their smartphones when the robber entered the premises.

All of the clients quickly scattered to the sides of the lobby, Hung said, adding that the security guards on duty were too afraid to approach the man because he was armed.

The tellers remained calm during the robbery, which kept the losses to a minimum, the bank said.

Taiwan Cooperative Bank deputy chief executive Tai Teng-shan (戴燈山) was offering moral support to the employees at the branch, the bank said.

The bank is cooperating fully with the police investigation and the branch hopes to resume business as soon as possible, the bank said.