Police foil robbery of Israeli bank in Switzerland
Thief escapes scene of the crime empty handed as special forces close in on heist in Zurich
An Israeli bank in Switzerland was targeted in a failed robbery attempt Wednesday afternoon.
There were no injuries as a man armed with two pistols walked into the Mizrahi-Tefahot bank in Zurich and demanded money from the bank’s manager.
According to the New Journal of Zurich, a Swiss German-language news daily, an employee of the bank triggered the bank’s alarm system which successfully notified authorities of the heist.
Some of the workers were able to flee the bank, as security forces surrounded the area and established a perimeter around the building. The bank robber managed to escape the scene before Swiss special forces attempted to swarm the bank.
Pictures of the scene currently in Zurich, Switzerland after a robbery at the Mizrahi bank (pic by R Zefi) pic.twitter.com/i0eKBZIhxb
— News_Executive (@News_Executive) December 24, 2014
There were no shots fired or money stolen during the attempted robbery. It is unclear whether the bank robber is still at large.
According to Israeli news site Ynet, the branch, located in Switzerland’s largest city, is registered as a Swiss bank that engages primarily in private banking.
