Bank robbery suspect wrote himself a note to 'act normal' and 'take a taxi'

SINGAPORE -- As more details emerge after the capture of bank robbery suspect David James Roach, police are starting to piece together a picture of a nervous, inexperienced robber who somehow strode away with S$30,000 ($22,317) after slipping the teller a piece of paper.

That's right, he robbed a bank without any violence or displaying arms.

Roach, a 27-year-old Canadian who reportedly left Canada last August to travel, has been in headlines here after he allegedly robbed a Standard Chartered bank branch a week ago.

A picture of Roach published in the local papers:

Reports say he simply walked into the bank before noon, handed a note over and walked out in minutes. Authorities have not revealed what the note said. But by the time the police came, he was gone.

Thai police caught him three days later in Bangkok, where he had nearly the entire sum of money on him.

He also had a notebook, in which he scribbled some reminders to himself, the head of Thailand's Interpol unit, Major-General Apichart Suriboonya, has revealed.

Under the heading "points to note after carrying out a robbery," Roach had written three points: wear plain clothes, take a taxi, and behave normally.

On another page, he wrote "make money" and listed three cities: Singapore, Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Dubai. This was possibly his escape route, Suriboonya told Shin Min Daily.

Singapore doesn't have an extradition treaty with Thailand or Canada. Thailand has not announced whether it will send him to Singapore or his home country yet.

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