A suspect in the alleged robbery of a Standard Chartered Bank branch in Holland Village on Thursday (July 7) had calmly checked into a $16-a-night hostel in Bangkok within hours of the incident.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the 1.8m-tall man had only a haversack with him when he arrived at the hostel at about 10pm without having a room reservation.
The Canadian has been identifed by Thai media as 26-year-old David James Roach.
A source told Shin Min Daily News that Roach had planned to stay in the hostel for two days but he extended his stay at the Boxpackers Hostel in central Bangkok.
The Straits Times reported that Roach changed his room each night, starting with a four-bedder before switching to a six-bedder. He was believed to have been arrested in the 10-bed room.
In a post published on Facebook on Monday (July 11), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed that Roach was arrested in Thailand on Sunday (July 10).
Roach allegedly made off with around $30,000 in cash with no weapon used during the heist. Through investigations, his identity was established that same day but he had already left Singapore for Bangkok, shortly after the robbery had been reported, said the police.
The SPF then obtained the assistance of their Thai counterparts in locating and apprehending the suspect.
According to Channel NewsAsia, this was not Roach’s first trip to Thailand. He was reported to have made trips to Bangkok “many times” before this incident.
stephluo@sph.com.sg
The Straits Times, Twitter
