Opportunistic Pradu
Konklong (right), caught with the stolen goods and a packet of
marijuana, will receive the bulk of the charges.
Boonlua Chatree
Two young teens were arrested for allegedly
attempting to steal a handbag from a Russian couple.
The pair of 14-year-old boys were captured after the
Aug. 3 attempted bag grab on Soi Cosy Beach on Pratamnak Hill. Russian
tourists Yuri Safonov, 33, and Gacina Irgizkina, 29, said they were
walking back to their hotel when two teens sped by on a motorbike and
grabbed Irgizkina’s purse.
Safonov quickly grabbed at the speeding thieves,
grabbing one’s shirt and toppling him from the motorbike. The driver
continued on without his cohort, but ran smack into some volunteer
police officers on Soi Bongkot and was captured there.
The bag, which contained a digital camera, mobile
phone, and 1,720 baht in cash, was not on the suspects. Police claim the
driver said he tossed it under a bridge so as not to get caught with the
evidence.
However, police searching the area encountered a
shifty taxi driver, Pradu Konklong, who, when searched, was found to
have the missing articles, as well as a bag of marijuana. He was charged
with theft and possession of Class 5 narcotics.
The boys were charged with theft.
