Bank in Montenegro held up by man claiming to have explosives
A bank in Montenegro was seized by a man who claimed to be armed with explosives and who accused the financial organization of stealing money from workers. The suspect ultimately surrendered to the police peacefully.
The drama is unfolding in the coastal city of Bar, in the south of the country. Police have evacuated residents of nearby houses and cordoned off the area around the NLB bank, which was reportedly seized by an armed man earlier on Tuesday.
The perpetrator, identified by the media in Montenegro as a local resident named Edin B., claimed to have planted explosive devices. He arrived at the branch early in the morning and ordered all employees out, according to reports.
The man placed large notes, written in Bosnian and English, in the window of the bank branch, according to footage from the scene. They read “Give back the money that you stole from employees of Primorska,” apparently in reference to a local company. The man was seen walking in front of the building next to a pair of presumed bombs holding what apeared to be a trigger in his hand.
In a 25-minute video manifesto posted online, he showed off his purported improvised explosive devices and said he would maintain the hostage standoff until the alleged debt was paid off with interest.
He also displayed what appeared to be an entire arsenal, including a firearm, Molotov cocktails, tear gas canisters, a gas mask and armor, and has declared his resolve to risk his life for his cause.
The video, in which the man detailed why he thought NLB was in the wrong, had apparently been recorded beforehand, as he said in it that its publication would mean he had been successful in carrying out his plan to take over the branch. He said his parents were among the workers he was trying to help with his desperate act.
The Montenegro police are reportedly negotiating with the man. Interior Minister Sergej Sekulovic told the media the situation was “complicated.”
Several business executives, including a former director of NBL Bank, have been indicted with a criminal conspiracy to embezzle government aid, which had been intended to help Primorka to repay its debts, restructure assets and to get it back afloat.
