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2016 Standard Chartered bank robbery
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2016 bank robbery in Singapore
September 2024
2016 Standard Chartered bank robbery Standard Chartered branch, Holland Village, Singapore yes 2016 07 07 David James Roach
The 2016 Standard Chartered bank robbery was a bank robbery that took place in Singapore on 7 July 2016. Bank robberies are rare in Singapore: the last successful robbery occurred in 2004.A look back at past bank robberies, a rarity in Singapore https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/lookback-past-bank-robberies-rarity-singapore 7 July 2016 7 July 2021 Today Singapore A total of S$30,045 was stolen, and the perpetrator, David James Roach, a Canadian national, fled Singapore on the same day to Bangkok, Thailand. Roach was subsequently jailed in Thailand on money-laundering charges, before being deported back to Canada in 2018.
During the deportation process, he was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London by British authorities and was then extradited to Singapore in 2020 for bank robbery and removing criminal proceeds from Singapore. The extradition carried a promise to the British government not to mete out corporal punishment on Roach when found guilty. Roach was sentenced to five years' jail and six strokes of the cane on 7 July 2021. The caning was subsequently remitted through the exercise of the President's clemency powers, thus fulfilling the promise to the British government.
Perpetrator
David James Roach, a Canadian born in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, had been backpacking since 2015 before arriving in Singapore on 29 June 2016.Ng Huiwen 13 July 2016 StanChart robbery: Suspect gave himself up when cornered https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/robbery-suspect-gave-himself-up-when-cornered 7 July 2021 The Straits Times SingaporeNg Huiwen 17 July 2016 Friends, family of StanChart robbery suspect express shock https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/friends-family-of-stanchart-robbery-suspect-express-shock 7 July 2021 The Straits Times Singapore He was aged 26 then.13 July 2016 Mother of StanChart robbery suspect David James Roach shocked at son's arrest https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mother-of-stanchart-robbery-suspect-david-james-roach-shocked-at-sons-arrest 7 July 2021 The Straits Times Singapore Roach had studied engineering in Calgary.
Robbery
Planning phase
After arriving in Singapore, Roach planned to rob a bank from 5 July onwards.Canadian man gets 5-year jail, caning for StanChart robbery at Holland Village https://sg.news.yahoo.com/canadian-man-jailed-stanchart-robbery-holland-village-090657093.html 7 July 2021 Wan Ting Koh 11 July 2021 sg.news.yahoo.com He made several reconnaissance trips to the targeted bank, a Standard Chartered bank branch at Holland Village, Singapore, and its surrounding environment. He had also bought new clothes, among them a sweater, to be used during the robbery, and disposed of immediately thereafter. The day before he committed the robbery, Roach stayed in three different hostels in Chinatown.
Robbery
On the morning of 7 July 2016, Roach entered the bank. He approached a pregnant bank teller with a note which read, "This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don't call the police."Lee Arpon Yasmin 6 June 2017 Thai court jails StanChart robbery suspect 14 months for money laundering and other charges https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/thai-court-jails-stanchart-robber-14-months-for-money-laundering-and-other-charges 7 July 2021 The Straits Times Singapore Believing that he had a weapon, the teller handed Roach a sum of S$30,450. Roach then fled the scene on foot. The police, upon receiving an alert from the bank, combed the area for a Caucasian suspect, but he was nowhere to be found.Manhunt on after robbery at StanChart branch in Holland Village 7 July 2016 Laura Philomin https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/police-cordon-set-outside-stan-chart-bank-holland-village 7 July 2021 Today Singapore
Escape
Roach changed out of his clothes upon exiting from the bank, and boarded a taxi several minutes later. The taxi brought him back to his hostel where he collected his personal belongings and left for Changi Airport. He bought an AirAsia ticket to Bangkok and left Singapore at 2:40 p.m. on the same day.
Aftermath
Roach's arrest and imprisonment in Thailand
Roach was caught on 9 July 2016 in his hostel in Bangkok, after Singapore authorities had alerted their Thai counterparts.Sharon Montgomery-Dupe River Ryan man gets jail sentence in Thailand 2 October 2017 Saltwire Cape Breton https://www.saltwire.com/cape-breton/news/local/river-ryan-man-gets-jail-sentence-in-thailand-15138/ 7 July 2021 As Singapore had issued a warrant of arrest for Roach, Thailand cancelled his rights to stay in the country, and detained him for seven days in an immigration detention centre. The Singapore authorities asked for Roach to be repatriated back to Singapore, but the request fell through as Singapore and Thailand had no treaty to allow such extraditions. At the same time, Canadian authorities wanted to extradite Roach back to Canada, given that Thailand and Canada had an existing extradition treaty. Instead, Thai authorities decided to charge and sentence Roach for violating currency regulations and money laundering. Roach, who had failed to declare that he possessed more than US$20,000 in assets upon arriving in Thailand, was initially sentenced to 2 years and 4 months of jail, but it was halved to 14 months after he confessed to the money-laundering charges. The money, 30450 2016 yes, was seized by Thailand as well.
Extradition from United Kingdom
Upon release from Thai prison, Roach was deported back to Canada and was placed on a multi-legged flight. While on a stopover at Heathrow Airport, London, he was arrested by British authorities on 11 January 2018 as Singapore had an active arrest warrant on him.StanChart robbery suspect David Roach can be extradited to Singapore: UK court https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/stanchart-robbery-david-roach-extradition-uk-10664894 29 August 2018 7 July 2021 Channel NewsAsia Singapore Singapore requested for him to be extradited, which Roach challenged. A UK judge ruled on 29 August 2018 that the extradition request could be fulfilled under UK laws. This came after Singapore gave assurances that Roach would not be caned if sentenced in Singapore. StanChart robbery: Singapore agrees to UK request to not cane suspect if found guilty https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/stanchart-robbery-singapore-david-roach-uk-request-extradition-9974270 20 February 2018 7 July 2021 CNA Singapore In October 2018, the British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt approved the extradition. StanChart robbery: Suspect David Roach extradited to Singapore from UK https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/stanchart-robber-david-roach-extradited-singapore-uk-12545390 7 July 2021 CNA Singapore 17 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200317133506/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/stanchart-robber-david-roach-extradited-singapore-uk-12545390 dead Roach further appealed against the judgement,30 August 2018 Court rules Britain free to extradite Singapore bank robbery suspect Reuters John Geddie Andrew MacAskill https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-singapore-bank-robbery-ruling-idUKKCN1LF05E 7 July 2021 but failed to secure a favourable outcome in February 2020.Montgomery-Dupe Sharon Cape Breton man to be extradited to Singapore to face charges related to a bank robbery 11 February 2020 https://www.saltwire.com/halifax/news/provincial/cape-breton-man-to-be-extradited-to-singapore-to-face-charges-related-to-a-bank-robbery-409880/ 7 July 2021 Saltwire Cape Breton Roach was extradited to Singapore on 16 March 2020.
Charging and sentencing of Roach
On 17 March 2020, Roach was charged with robbing a bank and removing criminal proceeds out of Singapore.StanChart robbery: David Roach charged in Singapore almost 4 years after alleged offences Lydia Lam 17 March 2020 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/stanchart-robbery-david-roach-charged-singapore-offences-12548178 7 July 2021 CNA Singapore Roach was assessed by two psychiatrists to have major depressive disorder, and it was a "contributory factor" in committing the robbery. On 7 July 2021 he was sentenced to five years' prison and six strokes of the cane, after pleading guilty to the two charges. The prison sentence was backdated to when he was first remanded in March 2020. No restitution was made by Roach.8 July 2021 Canadian who robbed StanChart bank in Singapore gets 5 years' jail, may not be caned Shaffiq Alkhatib https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/canadian-david-james-roach-gets-five-years-six-strokes-for-holland-village 9 July 2021 The Straits Times Singapore President of Singapore Halimah Yacob granted Roach clemency and remitted his caning sentence, thus fulfilling the promise made to the British government; no alternative punishment was given to Roach in lieu of caning. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/canadian-who-robbed-stanchart-bank-here-will-not-be-caned-in-line-with-requirements-to Canadian who robbed StanChart will not be caned; S'pore gave assurance to Britain to secure his extradition Hariz Baharudin The Straits Times Singapore 25 July 2021 25 July 2021
See also
List of major crimes in Singapore
Caning in Singapore
References
Category:2016 in Singapore
Category:2020 in Singapore
Category:2021 in Singapore
Category:2016 in Bangkok
Category:2018 in London
Category:Bank robberies
Category:2016 crimes in Singapore
Category:Canada–Singapore relations
Category:Singapore–United Kingdom relations
Category:Singapore–Thailand relations
Category:2020 crimes in Singapore
Category:2021 crimes in Singapore
Category:July 2016 in Singapore