By Andrew Dick
PHILIPSBURG--A man suspected of robbing Scotiabank in Philipsburg on Friday, February 5, surrendered to police in Tortola on Wednesday. The man is currently in custody and will be transferred to St. Maarten to face robbery charges.
Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Karola van Nie said, “I can confirm that the suspect of the Scotiabank robbery seems to be detained in BVI. The Prosecutor’s Office is in contact with the authorities about the next steps.”
The man, believed to be from Poland, walked into Scotiabank and handed one of the tellers a threatening note demanding that the teller hand over an undisclosed amount of money. After receiving the money the suspect left unnoticed. By the time the alarm was raised the suspect had already left the establishment.
There are circumstances surrounding the case that may be an issue for authorities. The man is believed to have left the island via boat and to have arrived in Tortola where he walked to the police station to surrender, but he seemed to be mentally unstable.
There is no word from sources close to the investigation on whether he had cash in his possession when police arrested him. The man’s mental state will have to determine prior to bringing charges against him.
