Bank robber arrested in Georgia and hostages released

Hostage situation at a Georgian bank

In Georgia, a nine-hour hostage situation has successfully ended, with all twelve hostages of a masked would-be robber at a Kutaisi branch of the Bank of Georgia having been released.

The perpetrator was arrested. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that the special operation was completed. Further details are unknown.

Fishing rod, Russian flag and $2,000,000

An armed robber wearing a mask broke into a branch of the Bank of Georgia located on Rustaveli Street in Kutaisi around 11am and took the people there hostage.

He initially demanded $2,000,000. He subsequently reduced the demand to $1,500,000.

He also demanded a helicopter – and a fishing rod and Russian flag.

The attacker threatened the hostages with an explosive device allegedly attached to his body. He also claimed to have attached a laser bomb to the bank’s doors.

During the day, police were mobilized near the bank building. In the afternoon, Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri arrived in Kutaisi.

The robber communicated with police using hostages. Live broadcasts from the bank building were posted on the Facebook page of one of the hostages almost every half an hour. These were done on the initiative of the suspect.

This is not the first case of a hostage situation at a bank in Georgia.

One of the most high-profile robberies took place two years ago on October 21, 2020, in Zugdidi. The perpetrator, Badri Esebua, broke into the branch of the Bank of Georgia, took 43 people hostage and demanded $500,000 in exchange for their release.

Negotiations lasted eight hours. The robber gradually released the hostages, and at night left the bank in a car with three hostages and the head of the local police department. Esebua’s current whereabouts are unknown.

Hostage situation at a Georgian bank