Taipei East District Bank Robbery: Police outsmart and subdue the culprit, ending the incident early
A man attempted to rob a CTBC Bank in Taipei with a BB gun and a fake grenade. Police responded swiftly, outsmarted the suspect, and safely subdued him, resolving the crisis without casualties.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 21:09
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 21:32 (22 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 21:56 (23 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Liu Chien-pang, Taipei, 24th) A man surnamed Lin held up a CTBC Bank in Taipei's East District today using a BB gun and a fake grenade. When police arrived from the local precinct, they found Lin holding a gun to the bank manager's head. Fortunately, the precinct chief outsmarted him and, along with two other officers, seized an opportunity to subdue the suspect, bringing the robbery to an early end.
The CTBC Bank near Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road and Section 1, Da'an Road in Taipei City was broken into and robbed this afternoon. After receiving a report from bank clerks, the police dispatched a large force to the scene. The culprit was ultimately subdued before he could get away with any money.
Preliminary police investigation revealed that the culprit, a man in his 30s surnamed Lin, is a local resident. He dragged a suitcase carrying a BB gun and a fake grenade into the bank in the afternoon, announcing a robbery. Taipei City Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien rushed to the scene to take command after the incident occurred, and later went to the Dunhua South Road Police Station of the Da'an Police Precinct to console and reward the officers who handled the robbery.
Lin Yen-tien stated in a joint interview at the Dunhua South Road Police Station that this case was resolved because the bank usually maintains contact with the local precinct and conducts prior drills. While the suspect surnamed Lin was checking the amount of cash in his suitcase, bank security and clerks immediately reported the incident through their direct line system with the police. The precinct chief and officers arrived at the scene very swiftly.
Lin Yen-tien said that because Dunhua South Road Police Station Chief Lu Cheng-lung had previously investigated the suspect Lin, he engaged in conversation with the culprit and realized he was holding a BB gun and a fake grenade. Seeing the right moment, he and other officers subdued the culprit. This action was not easy and required both boldness and careful attention to detail.
Lin Yen-tien expressed his strong approval and gratification, noting that the actions of Lu Cheng-lung and the handling officers not only reduced subsequent investigative manpower but also minimized public anxiety about public safety. He specifically visited the station to thank the officers and award them a consolatory bonus.
He emphasized that he will continue to remind officers to adhere to the principles of arriving quickly, handling quickly, and reporting quickly when encountering cases, thanking Lu Cheng-lung and the involved officers once again.
Lu Cheng-lung said he rushed to the scene immediately upon receiving the report. He felt cautious and fearful at the time, not knowing if the culprit held a real gun. Upon arriving, they found the culprit ready to leave with a suitcase full of cash. However, when the culprit noticed the large police presence outside, he became highly agitated and held a gun to the bank manager's head in a standoff with the police.
Lu Cheng-lung explained that upon seeing this, he first shouted at the culprit to calm down. When the culprit let his guard down, Lu and two other officers lunged forward and subdued him. After being pinned down, the culprit mentioned he had been arrested by Lu before and cited economic pressure as the reason for the bank robbery.
Lu Cheng-lung noted that upon arriving at the bank, the culprit first controlled the security guard, forced all personnel to the counter, and subsequently ordered clerks to fill his suitcase with money before being led into the vault. He thanked the other officers for their assistance in bringing the case to a smooth and safe conclusion.
The CTBC Bank near Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road and Section 1, Da'an Road in Taipei City was broken into and robbed this afternoon. After receiving a report from bank clerks, the police dispatched a large force to the scene. The culprit was ultimately subdued before he could get away with any money.
Preliminary police investigation revealed that the culprit, a man in his 30s surnamed Lin, is a local resident. He dragged a suitcase carrying a BB gun and a fake grenade into the bank in the afternoon, announcing a robbery. Taipei City Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien rushed to the scene to take command after the incident occurred, and later went to the Dunhua South Road Police Station of the Da'an Police Precinct to console and reward the officers who handled the robbery.
Lin Yen-tien stated in a joint interview at the Dunhua South Road Police Station that this case was resolved because the bank usually maintains contact with the local precinct and conducts prior drills. While the suspect surnamed Lin was checking the amount of cash in his suitcase, bank security and clerks immediately reported the incident through their direct line system with the police. The precinct chief and officers arrived at the scene very swiftly.
Lin Yen-tien said that because Dunhua South Road Police Station Chief Lu Cheng-lung had previously investigated the suspect Lin, he engaged in conversation with the culprit and realized he was holding a BB gun and a fake grenade. Seeing the right moment, he and other officers subdued the culprit. This action was not easy and required both boldness and careful attention to detail.
Lin Yen-tien expressed his strong approval and gratification, noting that the actions of Lu Cheng-lung and the handling officers not only reduced subsequent investigative manpower but also minimized public anxiety about public safety. He specifically visited the station to thank the officers and award them a consolatory bonus.
He emphasized that he will continue to remind officers to adhere to the principles of arriving quickly, handling quickly, and reporting quickly when encountering cases, thanking Lu Cheng-lung and the involved officers once again.
Lu Cheng-lung said he rushed to the scene immediately upon receiving the report. He felt cautious and fearful at the time, not knowing if the culprit held a real gun. Upon arriving, they found the culprit ready to leave with a suitcase full of cash. However, when the culprit noticed the large police presence outside, he became highly agitated and held a gun to the bank manager's head in a standoff with the police.
Lu Cheng-lung explained that upon seeing this, he first shouted at the culprit to calm down. When the culprit let his guard down, Lu and two other officers lunged forward and subdued him. After being pinned down, the culprit mentioned he had been arrested by Lu before and cited economic pressure as the reason for the bank robbery.
Lu Cheng-lung noted that upon arriving at the bank, the culprit first controlled the security guard, forced all personnel to the counter, and subsequently ordered clerks to fill his suitcase with money before being led into the vault. He thanked the other officers for their assistance in bringing the case to a smooth and safe conclusion.