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Don't rule out that the entire "bank robbing" aspect was just part of a dry run or test by a terrorist group.

/1/ Will Abdul's device work?

/2/ What can/will the cops do about it?

/3/ Will the victim cooperate, or run to the police?

Just random thoughts.

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As far as removing it, I would use a small portable plasma cutter (small air compressor plus microwave sized plasma machine, found at almost any welding store in any town, ready to go in five minutes max.)

The plasma cutter operates like a short range super laser beam, cutting through (depending on model) up to an inch of solid steel, alloy etc. Anything conductive will be cut. It cuts so hot and fast, the metal on each side of the cut remains cool to the touch. You can cut a piece of steel holding the work with your bare fingers one half inch from the cut line. It's an amazing piece of gear, found in every welding store in every town in America.

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I think if I had to choose, I'd ask a welder to save my life in this situation, not a cop or bomb squad dude. A welder would say, "that could be my brother," and just cut the metal off. To hell with the risk.

Assuming he's innocent, God bless this poor guy.

And I don't think it's the last. If it's Islamocrazies, it would be a great "reality TV" show for the jihad minded. Pure terror. "Will the bomb squad get the collar off of our TV anchor woman before her head explodes!"

Talk about TB ratings. Forget OJ's car chase,this would be way more gripping.

Remember, they do this in Spain and Colombia all the time,and it rarely has a happy ending.

Don't rule out that the entire "bank robbing" aspect was just part of a dry run or test by a terrorist group.
/1/ Will Abdul's device work?
/2/ What can/will the cops do about it?

/3/ Will the victim cooperate, or run to the police?

I tend to agree with you on this one, Travis.

This is a pretty complicated way to rob a bank. It obviously took a lot of planning plus making a workable collar and setting up the situation.

It appears to be a "dry run" for something bigger. If whoever did this made one successful collar, he can make a hundred. It could be either terrorist or criminal related - or both. This could be in the "Washington Sniper" class spreading terror.

I suspect we'll find out soon enough, and it will probably be a lot more than presently meets the eye.

I think if I had to choose, I'd ask a welder to save my life in this situation, not a cop or bomb squad dude. A welder would say, "that could be my brother," and just cut the metal off.

Good idea . . . I definitely wouldn't bother with the cops after this episode.

I wonder if an electromagnetic pulse device could favorably disrupt the electronics in one of these collars?

I agree with the use of the plasma cutter, but first it will indeed leave a serious burn to the neck, but that beats full head removal. Second, the plasma device could prematurely detonate the bomb depending on the type of cutting equipment its frequency range could include the remote control frequency. Finally, I would recommend a small cylinder of argon or nitrogen rather than an air compressor. No need for electricity and no possibility to have a gasoline air compressor fail. The choice of gas would be based on speed and efficiency.

Great idea though. However if speed is of the essence I would go with an ultra thermic cutting system and damn the scars because that beats losing one's head.

And I don't think it's the last. If it's Islamocrazies, it would be a great "reality TV" show for the jihad minded. Pure terror. "Will the bomb squad get the collar off of our TV anchor woman before her head explodes!"

I was thinking about this earlier. Hijacking a broadcast would be pretty dramatic. There was a guy back in the 80's who used a toy gun to force David Horowitz (The consumer advocate guy who had the show called Fight Back, not the ex-leftist) to read a statment about UFOs that were about to take over earth. They stopped broadcasting but they showed the feed on the TVs in the studio, thus fooling and placating the wacko.

But here's a way to threaten somebody and get your message on air while you cool your heels at home and make sure they actually show it.

There was supposed to be a complicted/detailed message delivered with the robbery. Could it have been a political statement?

If the patsy didn't read the message (or couldn't because of language differences) then he would just be carrying out the "robbery" whereas the robbery would just be a ruse.

The police say that they are examining the handwriting in the note, why withhold the image or text of the message?

Thanks for the ping, Travis. Your ideas are worthy of note, and this whole case is definitely Weird, with a capital "W".

I hope we find out exactly what happened here, and why.

All I can say right now is that anyone who would ever attempt to fix such a gadget to me would die of acute lead poisoning.