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.
Opportunistic Pradu Konklong (right), caught with the stolen goods and a packet of marijuana, will receive the bulk of the charges.
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.
