https://www.unilad.com/news/man-robbed-bank-money-lebanon-20220812 UNILAD [menu][menu][menu]MENU Advert 10 Man who robbed bank to get his own money back hailed national hero Joe Harker Published 17:13, 12 August 2022 BST | Last updated 17:13, 12 August 2022 BST Man who robbed bank to get his own money back hailed national hero A Lebanese man has been hailed as a national hero after robbing a bank of his own money. Most bank robbers are more concerned with nicking other people's cash but one man has become a hero in Lebanon after robbing his own money. Authorities say Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein entered a bank in Beirut on Thursday (11 August) with a shotgun and a can of petrol, threatening to set himself on fire if staff wouldn't allow him to withdraw his own money. Advert 10 Officials claim that the 42-year-old bank robber fired some warning shots and took a number of hostages, triggering a six hour siege. Hussein had around PS171,000 in his account which he reportedly needed to access in order to pay for his father's medical bills. Nobody was injured during the siege, which ended after Hussein was allowed to withdraw a chunk of his savings just as he'd wanted to do all along. Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein was hailed as a hero after he robbed his own money from a bank. Credit: WAEL HAMZEH/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockBassam al-Sheikh Hussein was hailed as a hero after he robbed his own money from a bank. Credit: WAEL HAMZEH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Advert 10 All hostages were then released and the 42-year-old who robbed his own money from the bank surrendered himself to the police without a struggle. During the siege, a crowd of protesters gathered chanting 'down with the rule of the banks' and later shouted that Hussein was a Lebanese national hero for going to such drastic levels to access his own money. Lebanon is suffering through its worst economic crisis in modern history following a financial collapse in 2019. Banks are running low on cash to issue to people, leading them to place strict limits on the amount of money people can withdraw. Advert 10 The Lebanese pound has also dropped 90 percent in value against the US dollar. The result has left millions of people stuck and unable to access the majority of their money, with three quarters of the country's population plunged into poverty. Only in #Lebanon: People head to protest in front of a local bank where a depositor is holding other people and bank employees hostages while demanding his money, because banks in Lebanon stope our money and now dictate how much we take our per week/ month. https://t.co/LExfGav14p -- Luna Safwan - lwn Sfwn (@LunaSafwan) August 11, 2022 Among the crowd of protestors who gathered outside the bank was Dina Abou Zor, a lawyer with the advocacy group Depositors' Union. Advert 10 She said: "What led us to this situation is the state's failure to resolve this economic crisis and the banks' and Central Bank's actions, where people can only retrieve some of their own money as if it's a weekly allowance. "And this has led to people taking matters into their own hands." If someone robbing a bank to steal their own money isn't a sign that things are in a dire state, then it's hard to know what is. This isn't even the first time it's happened. In January, a coffee shop owner in Lebanon managed to withdraw more than PS40,000 after holding bank staff hostage. Advert 10 Whether the 42-year-old will be charged or be allowed to keep any of his own money that he robbed from the bank, remains to be seen. If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected] Featured Image Credit: Hussein Malla/AP/Shutterstock/WAEL HAMZEH/ EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Topics: News, World News, Crime, Money Joe Harker More like this * Man Worth $300 Million Is Unimpressed As Logan Paul Tells Him His Bank Balance * Man Discovers $2,000 From 1934 Underneath His Porch * World's Youngest Billionaire Has His Own Mansion And Bentley * Woman Told To Wake Home Intruder Who Fell Asleep By 911 Dispatcher Advert 10 Advert 10 Advert 10 Chosen for YouChosen for You Taliban spend day on pedalos as they celebrate year of ruling Afghanistan News Taliban spend day on pedalos as they celebrate year of ruling Afghanistan 7 hours ago Man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie charged with attempted murder and assault News Man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie charged with attempted murder and assault 7 hours ago These are the eight federal laws Donald Trump may have broken that could land him in serious trouble Politics These are the eight federal laws Donald Trump may have broken that could land him in serious trouble 7 hours ago Most Read StoriesMost Read Man dies after chugging from bottle as verdict for child assault is read News Man dies after chugging from bottle as verdict for child assault is read 7 hours ago Donald Trump under investigation for violating espionage act and obstruction of justice Politics Donald Trump under investigation for violating espionage act and obstruction of justice a day ago Iran celebrates attack of Salman Rushdie while author is in critical condition News Iran celebrates attack of Salman Rushdie while author is in critical condition 12 hours ago California will become first state to offer free school meals to every kid News California will become first state to offer free school meals to every kid 8 hours ago 10 * About & Contact * Privacy Policy * Terms of Use * Privacy Settings Submit your content * * * * [p] Quantcast