11/07/2016

Holland Village StanChart bank robbery

Update 19 Jul 2016: River Ryan man still in Bangkok detention centre

A River Ryan man accused of robbing a Singapore bank is still being held at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok.

David James Roach, 26, was arrested at a hostel in Bangkok on July 10. He is accused of robbing the Standard Chartered Bank's Holland Village Park branch in Singapore on July 7.

According to the Singapore newspaper, The Straits Times, Thai police are waiting for a court decision on whether Roach can be extradited to Singapore to face charges. The decision is expected on Thursday. The delay has been caused by a public holiday in Thailand which ends today.

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S'pore seeks Thai help to repatriate suspected bank robber

The Singapore authorities have written to the Thai government, asking for its assistance in repatriating Canadian bank robbery suspect David James Roach to S'pore.

Roach was allegedly involved in a heist which took place on Jul 7 at the Standard Chartered Bank branch in Holland Village.

In a statement yesterday, the police said they have made a "mutual legal assistance request to the Thai authorities to seek their assistance to forward the evidence seized from the suspect to S'pore".

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Canadian man arrested in Thailand for allegedly robbing Singapore bank
David James Roach was arrested in Bangkok after allegedly stealing $29,000 from a bank in Singapore. (DREAMSTIME)

A Canadian man suspected of robbing a Singapore bank has reportedly been detained by police in Thailand.

Local media outlets say David James Roach was taken into custody at a hostel in Bangkok, after travelling to the Thai capital from Singapore.

The media reports say Roach allegedly walked into a bank in Singapore last Thursday and handed over a note saying he was armed and wanted money.

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Robbery suspect: Don't send me to Singapore

An unnamed law enforcement personnel said that he asked guards of the detention centre not to send him to Singapore, reported Shin Min.

He was heard saying: "Officer, please send me back to Canada, don't send me back to Singapore."

The Canadian embassy has provided Roach with a list of lawyers, but is unsure if he has consulted one, reported the daily. Singapore is in talks with Thai and Canadian authorities to extradite Roach to Singapore, which does not have an extradition treaty with either country, while Thailand has an extradition treaty with Canada.

related:
Was StanChart robber caught on cafe CCTV?
Family of robbery suspect shocked by arrest
What did StanChart robbery suspect's note read?


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Canadian man wanted in Singapore Bank theft to be extradited from Thailand

The Canadian man who is wanted in connection with a bank theft in Singapore and was captured by Thai police in Bangkok at the weekend has been named.

He is 37 year old David James Roche. He was apprehended at the Boxpackers Hostel in the Rachathewee area of the capital on Sunday.

Jakkrit Chaijinda of the immigration police made the official announcement outside an immigration detention center in Bangkok Wednesday afternoon, where he confirmed that Roche will be extradited and blacklisted from being able to re-enter Thailand.

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Suspect found with notebook detailing escape plan to Chiang Mai, then Dubai
Thailand's deputy national police chief Wuthi Liptapallop holds up a printed copy of The Straits Times as he speaks during a news conference on the Standard Chartered bank robbery in Singapore. FOTO: REUTERS

The Standard Chartered robbery suspect currently detained in Bangkok was found with a notebook detailing plans for him to escape to Chiang Mai and then Dubai, Thai police revealed on Wed (Jul 13).

It also contained the same phrases that Canadian citizen David James Roach, 26, had allegedly written on a slip of paper used to rob the bank in Holland Village last Thu (Jul 7).

The note reportedly said: "This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don't call police".

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How did alleged Standchart robber manage to flee Singapore?

The Standchart robbery has again put a spotlight on SPF. Looks like our scholars will be brainstorming preventive measures to prevent a recurrence of the same act?

Just 4 months earlier, ST had trumpeted “Network of CCTV cameras proving effective”. With about 100,000 CCTVs in our 719 sq km little red dot, how did the robber flee Singapore after his description had been given to the police? Can the police prevent terrorists from entering Singapore when they can’t prevent an alleged criminal from leaving?

According to a media report, the robber had fled on foot after mission accomplished. Hmm .. ran to Bangkok in 6 hours?

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What did StanChart robbery suspect's note read?
CAUGHT: Suspected bank robber Canadian national David James Roach (above) was arrested at a Bangkok hostel. FOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

He had told hostel staff during check-in that he was going to check out on Saturday.

But for unknown reasons, David James Roach did not do so, & stayed on.

On Sunday, Thailand police moved into the Boxpackers Hostel in the Ratchathewi district of central Bangkok and arrested him.

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Suspect refusing to cooperate, police find notebook with escape plan

When the alleged robber of Standard Chartered bank in Singapore was picked up by 20 policemen at a backpackers hostel in Bangkok on Sun (Jul 10), he was found with his loot of cash, some notes and a notebook.

26-yr-old Canadian, David James Roach, did not have the full $30,000 of ill-gotten gains that he had allegedly stolen from the bank at Holland Village, but he had some 700,000 baht (S$26,813) worth of cash in assorted currencies, reported The Straits Times.

His notebook has details of his escape plan to Chiang Mai and then Dubai, Thai police revealed on Wednesday (Jul 13).

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Singaporean woman witnessed dramatic arrest at Bangkok hostel

A Singaporean woman was getting ready for a day out in Bangkok at the Boxpackers Hostel just before noon on Sunday when a hostel worker opened the door of her dormitory room and gestured for her and her friend to leave quietly.

More than 10 plain-clothes police officers stood in the doorway with guns drawn, the 23-year-old civil servant, who declined to be named, told The Straits Times yesterday. She later found out that the officers were there to arrest a fellow tourist staying in her 12-bed mixed dormitory room, who turned out to be the man who allegedly robbed the Standard Chartered Bank branch in Holland Village of $30,000 last Thursday.

The man had been sleeping just two beds away from her on the upper bunk and had "a piercing look", she said.

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Suspected StanChart robber arrested in Bangkok

The man who allegedly made off with S$30,000 from the Holland Village branch of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) has been arrested in Bangkok, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) announced on Monday (Jul 11).

Police said the suspect was apprehended on Jul 10 with assistance of the Royal Thai Police. "Police through the investigations managed to establish the identity of the suspect on the same day but he had already left Singapore for Bangkok, shortly after the crime was reported," SPF said.

The robbery occurred on Thu morning at 11:25am. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect made off with S$30,000 in cash & that no weapon was used at the time of the crime, SPF said. It added that police were informed of the case of robbery after the suspect had left the scene.

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StanChart bank robber nabbed in Bangkok after 72 hours on the run

The man who robbed a Standard Chartered Bank branch in Holland Village has been nabbed in Thailand after more than 72 hrs on the run, police confirmed on Monday (Jul 11).

The man was arrested by the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok on Sunday (Jul 10), police said in a statement.

According to Major General Apichart Suriboonya, who heads Thailand's Interpol unit, the suspect is Canadian. He flew from Singapore to Thailand last Thursday, arriving at 5:08pm. On Sunday, he was arrested at noon at Boxpackers Hostel in Bangkok.

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StanChart robber caught in Bangkok

Police have confirmed that they have apprehended the bank robber with the help of the Royal Thai Police. The following is their statement in full:
  • “The suspect involved in the case of robbery at the Standard Chartered Bank branch along Holland Avenue on 7 July 2016 has been arrested by the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
  • On 7 July 2016 at about 11.25 am, Police were informed of a case of robbery at the said branch after the suspect had left the scene. Upon receipt of the report, officers from Clementi Division, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Public Transport Security Command (TransCom) and the Police Intelligence Department (PID) responded immediately and conducted investigations and pursued all available leads. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had made off with about $30,000 in cash and that no weapon was used during the commission of the crime.
  • The Police through the investigations managed to establish the identity of the suspect on the same day but he had already left Singapore for Bangkok, shortly after the crime was reported.
  • The Police have been in communication with the RTP, and obtained their assistance in locating and arresting the suspect. The Police did not release further details beyond the initial police statements for operational reasons to ensure the arrest operation was not jeopardised. The RTP located the suspect and arrested him in Bangkok on 10 July 2016. The Singapore authorities are currently engaging our counterparts in Thailand to see whether the suspect can be released into our custody.”
The Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News has reported that the StanChart robber has been caught in Bangkok, Thailand.

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StanChart bank robber has been allegedly caught in Bangkok

According to Shin Min Daily News (SMDN), who has been on the forefront of reporting the Holland Village robbery, the suspect who robbed StanChart has been arrested in Thailand.

In a separate Facebook update on July 11, SMDN reported that the Caucasian suspect was from North America and was arrested in Bangkok yesterday (July 10).

The robbery caught everyone by surprise, and the method which the robber used has also been a hot topic of conversation.

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Bank robbery suspect arrested

POLICE have confirmed today (July 11) that the suspect involved in the robbery of a Standard Chartered Bank branch in Holland Village has been caught in Bangkok, Thailand. The arrest was announced more than 72 hours after the robbery.

The suspect is believed to be from North America. He was arrested by the Royal Thai Police on Sunday, July 10.

Chinese paper Shin Min Daily reported that it is believed he targeted the branch specifically because he noticed that it was not guarded.

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Teller followed safety protocols
A Certis Cisco security guard at the StanChart branch in Holland Village yesterday, 1 day after a Caucasian man brazenly walked in around 11.25am, slipped the teller a piece of paper with his demands, then got away on foot with about $30,000 in cash.ST FOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

A teller who handed over about $30,000 in cash to a robber at Standard Chartered Bank's Holland Village branch on Thursday did the right thing, according to the bank, which has tightened security there with a security guard.

Yesterday, an island-wide manhunt continued for the Caucasian man who had brazenly walked into the bank around 11:25am, slipped the teller a piece of paper with his demands, then got away with the money on foot.

The branch did not have a security guard then, but a bank spokesman said it had "in-branch security measures" such as closed-circuit TV cameras and staff "are well trained to respond to such situations".

related:
Robbery 'a serious offence even if no weapons used'
Business as usual a day after robbery at Standard Chartered bank
Suspect on the run after $30k bank robbery in Holland Village
Police searching for suspect after robbery at Standard Chartered bank
Suspect on the run after $30k bank robbery in Holland Village


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Singapore police hunt bank 'note' robber
Singapore police investigate a crime scene in front of a Standard Chartered bank branch, on July 7, 2016

Singapore police said on Friday they are hunting a man who managed to steal more than S$30,000 (783,000 baht) from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper.

The suspect, described as caucasian, strolled into a Standard Chartered branch in an expatriate enclave of the city around lunchtime on Thursday and handed staff a note with his demands.

Minutes later, he walked out of the branch with S$30,000 in cash, said a source close to the investigation, who asked not to be named.

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Manhunt for Standard Chartered bank robber at Holland Village

A manhunt is underway at Holland Village, as police investigate a robbery that took place at Standard Chartered Bank on Thu (July 7) morning.

Channel NewsAsia understands that the suspect made off with S$30,000 from the Standard Chartered branch, and was not armed at the time.

The branch was closed after the incident. The bank said it filed a police report immediately, and is working with the police on investigations. "We would like to highlight that the safety of our customers and staff is top priority and our branch staff are all well-trained to react to such situations," StanChart said in a statement.

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Singapore bank closed due to suspected robbery

A Standard Chartered branch in Singapore was closed due to suspected robbery Thursday afternoon, according to local media.

Witness said that the bank at Holland Village has been closed at around noon. The area was now cordoned off.

In response to media queries, a police spokesman confirmed that a report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing. But it has not confirmed whether it was bank robbery.


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Rare bank robbery highlights complacency in safe Singapore

A rare bank robbery in Singapore has sparked a social media debate on whether the country's low crime rates made authorities and the population too complacent, questioned bank security and criticised police for not providing details of the incident.

A man stole S$30,000 (US$22,300) from a Standard Chartered branch last Thursday, having slipped the teller a note saying he was armed, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

The teller pressed a silent alarm button and police arrived within minutes, but it was too late, said the source, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

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Police search for suspect after robbery at Standard Chartered bank in Holland Village

The branch of Standard Chartered bank in Holland Village, Singapore would be temporarily closed for police investigations after a robbery was reported to have taken place on Thursday morning.

A police spokesperson confirmed that the robbery occurred at 11.25 am. The branch was closed immediately after the incident. All the employees and customers are said to be safe.

The police believe that the suspect is a Caucasian man, who was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard-coloured pants. Weapons were not used during the robbery and hence there were no injuries, said the officers.

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S’pore police hunt bank ‘note’ robber

Singapore police said they are hunting a man who managed to steal more than SG$30,000 (RM90,000) from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper.

The suspect, described as caucasian, strolled into a Standard Chartered branch in an expatriate enclave of the city around lunchtime on Thursday and handed staff a note with his demands. Minutes later, he walked out of the branch with SG$30,000 (RM90,000) in cash, said a source close to the investigation, who asked not to be named. A police spokesman confirmed the robbery and said no weapon was used, but gave no details of the note’s contents. The local Straits Times newspaper said police were searching for an Australian man.

Bank robberies are rare in Singapore, whose tough stance against crime and strict ban on private gun ownership have made it one of Asia’s safest cities.

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Police officers searching for suspect after robbery at Standard Chartered bank in Holland Village

A robbery took place at the Standard Chartered bank branch in Holland Village on Thursday (Jul 7) morning, with police officers cordoning off the area from the public. 


A customer at the Citibank next door told The Straits Times she saw as many as 10 police cars and two police vans.

Police officers in bulletproof vests were seen outside the Standard Chartered bank branch in Holland Village on Thursday (Jul 7) afternoon and the area was cordoned off.

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“I have a weapon”, robber warns StanChart teller to loot $30,000

Standard Chartered bank’s Holland Village branch was robbed on July 7 morning at about 11.25am, and according to Shin Min Daily News this was the note the robber handed to the bank teller before she quickly handed him $30,000.

From the various reports in the newspapers and social media, it is established that the suspect is is a tall, skinny, Ang Moh Australian who was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard-coloured pants. There were no security at the bank when the robbery occurred.

Since the robbery, most banks in the Holland Village area have beefed up their security. It is unclear why the banks in the area chose not to invest in good security before the robbery. It could be because of a false sense of security since bank robberies in Singapore are almost unheard off. Or it could be because of cost cutting measures.

related: StanChart robber caught in Bangkok

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Search for suspect on in Holland V bank heist – but what does he look like?

HERE’S what we know: He was a Caucasian man, apparently Australian – though, how this was determined is unclear. (Perhaps he spoke with an Aussie accent?) He was wearing a grey hoodie, mustard-coloured pants and may have had a cap on.

Was he tall? Short? Fat or skinny? How old? We don’t know. No details of age, height or weight were given.

We’re talking of course about the robbery that happened yesterday (July 7) at the Standard Chartered Bank in Holland Village.

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Robbery in Holland Ave, the first since 2008

An unarmed man robbed $30,000 from a bank branch of Standard Chartered Bank at Holland Village at 11.25am on July 7. Making it the first Singapore bank robbery in 8 years since the last incident in 2008.

The robbery was reported to have happened only within the span of a few minutes. The lone individual walked toward the teller then handed her a note. She took the money and handed him $30,000. Then he walked off the building.

It is said that he was unarmed and that there were no securities seen in the bank during that time. It is unknown what was written on the note but it was reported by Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News that the bank employees handed over a stack of notes in fear for their safety.

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The police haven’t given much info about the StanChart robbery, so Internet steps in
The Internet has an unquenchable thirst for information

And when they don’t get it, they tend to make up their own information.

A day after Singapore’s most recent bank robbery, the Internet is turning its attention towards the Singapore Police Force, and what they perceive as lack of information in real time.

Here are the three most pressing questions everyone seems to be asking that the police has not given a concrete answer for — and what the Internet has already answered.

related:
StanChart bank robber has been allegedly caught in Bangkok
Holland Vil bank robbery so unexpected because it’s 1st in a long time

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STAN CHART ROBBERY: POLICE FINDS IMPT EVIDENCE - GATORADE BOTTLE

The ongoing police investigation of the robbery at Standard Chartered Bank at Holland Village has uncovered an important piece of evidence - a Gatorade bottle which the suspect had drank from.

Investigators have retrieved a Gatorade bottle from a rubbish bin that was within 5 meters of the bank.

It is believed that the suspect was observing the activities of the bank from the outside while sipping his Gatorade drink before he finally threw the bottle into the rubbish bin.

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Unarmed Ang Moh Successfully Robs Bank while Local and Foreign Bank Robbers Failed Before Him

The perpetrator of yesterday’s bank robbery at Standard Chartered bank in Holland Village is suspected to be an ang moh man who was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard pants.

The ang moh is believed to have been unarmed when he performed the robbery.

He made off with S$30,000 and gave everyone the slip. Police are still searching for him and no identity has been revealed to the public yet.

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Caucasian man successfully robbed Standard Chartered bank of S$30,000 in broad daylight

An unknown caucasian man successfully pulled off a bank robbery at the Holland Village branch of Standard Chartered bank in broad daylight around 11.25am today (July 7). According to the media, the man took off with S$30,000 in cash but the police is unable to find or identify him. The only information is that the robber was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard pants.

There is no information from the Singapore Police as of press time, and neither was a photo or screenshot of the bank’s cctv image provided. There is no detail behind the robbery released by the police, and the Singapore government-controlled media did not interview anyone involved in the robbery and the spokesperson for Standard Chartered bank only said that the branch will be closed for police investigation.

This is Singapore’s first successful bank robbery in decades. It is understood the Singapore government-controlled media is revealing as little information as possible so not to embarrass the Singapore government.

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Why didn’t anyone think of anti-robbery standee to foil would-be-bank-robbers?
Blogger Phillip Ang in his post in December last year titled, ‘Cardboard policemen can help deter criminals meh?‘, showed how effective Singapore Police Force’s anti-theft standees are.

In the wake of the robbery of StanChart bank in Holland Village on Thursday (7 Jul), some Facebook users were again wondering how effective the anti-crime standees are.

User Shawn Shawket sharing a picture of the standee said: “I wonder which idiot who cooked up this campaign thought it would deter crime forever…..LOL !!!”

related:
Stanchart robber may not be extradited to Singapore but go to Canada instead
Times must be really bad in Singapore if even Ang Mohs need to rob banks
Stanchart robber was a skinny and tall Ang Moh claims eye-witness

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Full Coverage:
Stanchart robber may not be extradited to S'pore but go to Canada instead
Suspect had $27k on him when arrested: Thai police
StanChart robbery suspect could be sent back to Canada: Thai authorities
Robbery suspect gave himself up when cornered
Thai police chief said bank robbery suspect to be sent abroad
Bank robbery suspect had intended to flee to Dubai before capture
Suspected Singapore bank robber to be 'sent abroad' - Thai police
Canadian man arrested in Thailand for allegedly robbing Singapore bank
suspect to be extradited
Suspect in StanChart robbery 'calmly' checked into Bangkok hostel
Suspect was in Bangkok within six hours of crime
Canadian man wanted in Singapore Bank theft to be extradited from Thailand
Suspect in Singapore bank robbery to be extradited
What did StanChart robbery suspect's note read?
Thai Police Detain Alleged Note-Wielding Bank Robber from Canada
Canadian man reportedly held in Thailand over bank robbery in Singapore
Canadian Bank Robber David James Roach to Be Extradited to Singapore
Need for clearer, stronger advisory on bank security
Singaporean woman witnessed dramatic arrest at Bangkok hostel
Rare bank robbery highlights complacency in safe Singapore
StanChart's Holland V branch beefs up security as hunt for suspect continues
Holland Village bank robbery:Police cordon set up,nearby areas combed for clues
Holland Village bank robbery: Teller followed safety protocols
StanChart's Holland V branch beefs up security as hunt for suspect continues
Holland Village robbery:Police cordon set up, nearby areas combed for clues
Manhunt for Standard Chartered bank robber at Holland Village
Robbery in Holland Ave, the first since 2008
Police officers searching for suspect after robbery at Standard Chartered bank
S'pore police hunt bank 'note' robber
Man robs Standard Chartered bank in Holland Village
Search for suspect on in Holland V bank heist - but what does he look like?
StanChart Holland Village branch robbed of S$30000
Police search for suspect after robbery at Standard Chartered bank
Standard Chartered (SCBFF) Current Analyst Ratings
Are Analysts Bullish Standard Chartered PLC (LON:STAN) After Last Week?
Singapore bank closed due to suspected robbery