A Russian was arrested by police at Suvarnabhumi international airport on Wednesday after he tried unsuccessfully to blow up an ATM in Hua Hin early Monday morning.
The Russian suspect, identified as Konstantin Dolgov, 27, was spotted by a passer-by, Mr Manaspong Plienpradab, at about 3 am Monday morning at an ATM of Krung Thai bank in front of the Hua Hin land office, trying to open the machine with an oxygen tank.
Upon seeing Manaspong, the suspect escaped. A manhunt was later launched by Hua Hin police who arrived at the scene after being alerted of the robbery attempt. Immigration police at all airports were alerted to watch out for the suspect whose image was shown on the CCTV footages.
Dolgov was apprehended at the departure lounge of Suvarnabhumi airport as he was waiting for a flight out of Thailand.
After the arrest, Dolgov told police that he plotted the robbery plan by renting a pick-up truck which he rode through Hua Hin town to scout for the right ATM to rob. He finally found one in front of the land office and then went to buy tools needed to blow up the ATM which included an oxygen tank and a gas tank at a shop in Pran Buri district.
Early Monday morning, he drove the truck to the targeted ATM, waited there until there was not one around and then moved in to blow up the ATM with the gas which he filled into the machine through a gap before starting a fire.
The gas exploded but, out of a sudden, a motorcyclist just showed up, scaring the suspect who immediately made good the escape empty-handed. He later dumped the gas and oxygen tanks in the shrubs near the hotel where he was staying.
