Yunlin: A recently released ex-convict was arrested and later detained after a failed attempt to steal NT$5 million (US$162,739) from a bank in Huwei Township, Yunlin County last Thursday by pretending to be armed, according to prosecutors and police.

According to Focus Taiwan, the incident occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 23, when the suspect, a 30-year-old man surnamed Lin, walked into a downtown Huwei bank and pretended to make a withdrawal. He then threw a burlap bag toward a teller and shouted for NT$5 million, threatening to shoot if his demands were not met, as per a statement from the Yunlin District Prosecutors Office issued on Monday.

A security guard noticed that Lin did not appear to be carrying a weapon, even though he kept one hand inside his jacket as if he was holding a gun. The guard attempted to stop Lin, but after a brief struggle, the would-be bank robber managed to escape and fled the scene in a taxi that was waiting outside.

Police from Huwei Precinct quickly initiated an investigation and, after reviewing security footage, identified the suspect as Lin. He had previous convictions for drug-related offenses and had recently been released from prison. After reporting the case to prosecutors, officers located and arrested Lin later that evening at a rented residence in Lunbei Township. They seized the burlap bag used during the attempted robbery but did not find a firearm, according to the statement.

Lin initially denied the allegations, claiming he had gone to the bank to withdraw money. However, he later confessed to staging the attempted robbery due to financial difficulties after police confronted him with evidence. Police reported that Lin, a Yunlin native, had taken a taxi from neighboring Changhua County, where he was living with his girlfriend, to commit the crime.

Prosecutors charged Lin with attempted robbery, citing concerns that he posed a flight risk and could interfere with witness testimony. The Yunlin District Court later approved a request to detain him incommunicado.