Police have released this image of a woman that may assist with their investigation of an attempted robbery in Springvale.
A BANK teller stood strong in the face of an attempted hold-up last week in Springvale.
Police believe the would-be robber waited patiently in line with around 20 other customers around 12.15pm on Thursday 12 July at the ANZ’s Springvale Branch.
It is alleged the woman, aged in her thirties and wearing a headscarf, approached the teller and passed over a hand-written note demanding $50,000.
Police believe the note said ‘Give me $50,000 or I’ll shoot everyone in the bank.’
The female teller refused the demands, causing the woman to plead that her children were being held hostage.
The teller refused and the woman reached into her bag saying she had a gun.
When the teller again refused, the woman grabbed the note from the counter and ran from the bank.
She was last seen running towards Springvale Road.
The offender was described as aged in her thirties, of Middle Eastern appearance and 165 centimetres tall with brown eyes.
She was wearing a white headscarf, a black long sleeved jacket, black pants, slip-on black shoes and carrying a black leather double strap handbag at the time of the incident.
Police are appealing for the customers and any other witnesses to contact them.
The incident followed a similar robbery in the south-eastern suburbs on the same day.
A woman held up a Pakenham pharmacy only one hour earlier, unarmed and alone.
Pakenham police said that at about 11.20am a 30-year-old woman entered Cardinia Pharmore Pharmacy in Main Street and demanded a staff member open the register.
The sales assistant believed the woman had a gun as she kept her hand in her pocket.
She handed over cash as Pharmore employees hit security alarms and called the police. The woman fled the scene.
A woman fitting witnesses’ descriptions was arrested half an hour later at Pakenham Railway Station.
She was remanded in custody to appear in court at a later date. Act Sgt Templar said the woman was aged in her thirties and acted alone.
Anyone with information about the Springvale attempted robbery is urged to contact Dandenong Embona Taskforce on 9767 7618 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
