A man wanted in Singapore for allegedly stealing more than USD 22,000 from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper has been arrested in Bangkok, Singaporean police said today.
The suspect was arrested yesterday, the police said in a statement, three days after authorities suspect him of robbing a Standard Chartered bank branch in the city-state using only a threatening note.
"The Singapore authorities are currently engaging our counterparts in Thailand to see whether the suspect can be released into our custody," the statement said.
The suspect strolled into the Singapore bank around lunchtime on July 7, handed the teller a note and walked off with Sg 30,000 dollars (USD 22,000) in cash.
"This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don't call police," the note said, according to a source close to the investigation.
Thai police confirmed the suspect is a Canadian man who arrived in Thailand at 5.08pm on Thursday but stopped short of naming him, reported Singapore daily The Straits Times.
He was arrested yesterday in a Bangkok hostel and is now being held in a detention centre, the newspaper said, quoting the head of Thailand's Interpol unit Major General Apichart Suriboonya.
Police had earlier said that no weapon was used.
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.
Singapore and Thailand do not have an extradition treaty but share close diplomatic ties.
