Newspaper 'Etemad' Reports on the Suicide of Main Suspect in National Bank Heist

The Etemad newspaper reported, based on 'exclusive information' from an informed source, that the primary suspect in the National Bank robbery 'attempted suicide in prison.' According to the report, the main thief of the National Bank overdosed on pills in one of the wards of Tehran's Great Prison. The newspaper quoted the informed source as saying: 'Armin, from the very beginning, saw himself in a deadlock with the issuance of the indictment and facing the charge of corruption on earth, and with the prolonged handling of the case, he attempted suicide, but was saved by the timely action of the guard officer.' The robbery of the National Bank was one of the most notorious thefts in Iran, with Monsan, a member of the National Bank's board, stating about the robbery: 'The thieves broke into 162 out of 250 safety deposit boxes belonging to customers using a crowbar, emptying every box that was full.' He added that the boxes were equipped with security systems and noted: 'The team of thieves that entered the branch was very skilled and experienced, managing to disable the systems.' Domestic media also reported on the details of this theft: the robbery occurred in the early hours of June 3, 2022, with the thieves entering the building through the back door by breaking and cutting the lock, and after cutting open the large safe and hacking its code, they entered the bank's safety deposit area, emptying 169 out of 250 boxes before exiting through the same back door, closing and securely locking it behind them. This case ultimately led to the arrest of 26 individuals. The Hollywood-style National Bank robbery also drew the attention of the parliament, leading to the arrest of '13 thieves'; the police stated that most of the stolen property was recovered. The reopening of the National Jewelry Museum after 51 months of closure raised doubts among users regarding the authenticity of the displayed works. The Central Bank of Iran reported that the average price of housing in Tehran has reached 82 million tomans.