A successful heist

A bank robber who successfully evaded hundreds of officers in South Korea has been apprehended at a casino in Vietnam.

The 47-year-old suspect allegedly carried out a bank heist at a credit union last month, prompting the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to launch a manhunt. He stole more than $29,300 in cash from a National Credit Union Federation of Korea branch in Daejeon.

The suspect fled the scene on a white motorcycle

The suspect entered the bank facility on August 18 wearing a black helmet before spraying a fire extinguisher and demanding an employee give him all of the cash at knifepoint. The suspect fled the scene on a white motorcycle. Just two people were working at the bank at the time of the robbery, one of whom rang the police while in the bathroom.

Evading the authorities

The Daejeon Police Agency attempted to locate the bank robber but he successfully evaded them by taking a complex escape route and switching his motorcycle. He also used taxis, walked, and utilized closed-off roads and streets without any CCTV.

Around 250 police officers and detectives from six police stations were involved in the chase at one point, but they proved unsuccessful. It took authorities a few days to identify the robber, by which time he had already left the country.

This led the Korean police to ask Interpol for cooperation on the matter, as well as authorities in Vietnam. Interpol issued a red notice, which is a request for global police forces to find and arrest a suspect pending their surrender or extradition.

Eventual arrest

Vietnamese police eventually received a tip that the bank robber was at a casino in the resort city of Danang. He was wearing a mask and a hat at the time and had about $1,504 worth of casino chips.

Authorities will now arrange his extradition back to South Korea

As reported by Korea JoongAng Daily, police arrested the 47-year-old at the property on Sunday. In addition to the bank robbery – to which he admitted – the suspect also allegedly stole a bag at a Vietnam supermarket. Authorities will now arrange his extradition back to South Korea.

The individual’s acquaintances and family said he was in significant debt as a result of his gambling. Police confirmed that the man had already spent the sum he stole from the credit union.