The branch of Standard Chartered bank in Holland Village, Singapore would be temporarily closed for police investigations after a robbery was reported to have taken place on Thursday morning.
A police spokesperson confirmed that the robbery occurred at 11.25 am. The branch was closed immediately after the incident. All the employees and customers are said to be safe.
The police believe that the suspect is a Caucasian man, who was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard-coloured pants. Weapons were not used during the robbery and hence there were no injuries, said the officers.
"We would like to highlight that the safety of our customers and staff are our top priority and our branch staff are all well trained to react to such situations," a spokesperson of the Standard Chartered Bank told AFP.
Denise Richter, a 22-year-old employee from the nearby café, Park, said there was no commotion during the incident. She added that the police had asked the cafe's employees if they had mobile or CCTV footage of the incident.
People from the nearby areas told The Straits Times that police officers were seen patrolling the area. They also checked the dustbins of the terraced houses in the Chip Bee Gardens estate.
"This is scary, I've lived here for seven years and this is the first time something like this happened," Marnie Acosta, a domestic worker, said.
Bank robberies are very rare in Singapore. In November 2008, a man dressed as a woman attempted to rob a United Overseas Bank branch at City Plaza on Geylang Road, but failed to do it. He was later identified as Ismail Shaikh Ahmad.
