Armed depositor arrested after storming Beirut bank

BEIRUT: Members of the Lebanese General Security Service have arrested the armed female depositor who stormed Blom Bank Wednesday morning, after taking the employees as hostages.

The woman, who forcibly closed the branch for an hour, claimed to be a member of the Association of Depositors in Lebanon and demanded that her $20,000 deposit with the bank be released to her so she can pay for her sister’s cancer treatment.

#Breaking — A new hostage situation at a Lebanese bank, where an armed female depositor entered with backing from the Depositors Outcry association, held employees at gunpoint and has since left with around $13,000 said to be for the cancer treatment of her sister. pic.twitter.com/RA4cnSvVaD

— Timour Azhari (@timourazhari) September 14, 2022

The bank’s branch, which has about 14 employees, is located at the Sodeco intersection, opposite the headquarters of the General Security Agency in Beirut.

One of the officials in the headquarters of the bank told Arab News that the bank’s employees refused to answer the calls.

The official explained that in front of each branch of the bank there is a guard, but he is not armed, and his task is limited to regulating the entry of people to the bank.

A statement from Lebanon’s depositors’ group have warned banks about ‘continuing to seize people’s money.

“We will not stand idly by as banks continue to seize our money,” the group said.

A social media post from the alleged depositor, accompanying a picture of her sick sister said: “My life, I will bid farewell to you as you go for your treatment abroad and so you can come back healthy and raise your daughter. Even if it costs me my life. May God heal you, the dearest to my heart.”

The social media post has been shared across platforms.