Robbers threaten staff Crelan bank, with namaakwapen

Kraainem Certainly two of the raiders come Monday morning, a hold-up committed on a branch of Crelan in the Koningin Astridlaan in faciliteitengemeente Kraainem. Possible there was a third suspect on the lookout. The staff was with a nepwapen threatened. The perpetrators went with some change to go. One of them was caught, the two others are still on the run.

“The facts were played down at the time that the employees the doors of the office wanted to open,” says Ronny Van Pee of the local police force WOKRA (Wezembeek-Oppem and Kraainem). “Two men entered the bank inside and threatened the two staff members with a namaakwapen. A third suspect was outside on the lookout.”

The police was, thanks to the automatic alarm notified and was soon on the spot. The zone WOKRA received support from colleagues in Zaventem and the Vine. “We were one of the suspects up in the backyard of a neighbouring house,” says Van Pee. “The other two offenders are – in spite of a large-scale search – still without a trace.” The man arrested was a thirty-something from Brussels. He is known to the police. Further research, done in collaboration with the federal judicial police.

No injuries

In the attack caused no injuries. “But the staff that was threatened, was, of course, under the impression of the facts”, one at the headquarters of Crelan know. The bank branch in Kraainem remained Monday afternoon closed.

The office was in the 90s founded by Member of parliament Luk Van Biesen (Open Vld). The branch bears today his name, but Van Biesen, there is meanwhile already some years left. His daughter and ex-wife running the branch currently.