BANGKOK, Thailand – A suspect who single-handedly robbed a gold shop in a mall in Lam Luk Ka has been arrested and taken for a crime reenactment. The suspect confessed to pawning part of the stolen gold and purchasing gold-melting equipment to evade authorities.
Police detained the suspect, who had stolen 113 baht (approximately 5 million baht in value) of gold jewelry, and conducted a crime reenactment at the gold shop in the shopping mall and the location where the suspect abandoned his motorcycle in Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani. Authorities arrested the suspect yesterday at a mall in Bang Khae, recovering 58 baht of gold jewelry, 107,320 baht in cash, pawn tickets, clothing, and the motorcycle used in the crime.
Police Lieutenant General Akkharadej Phimonsri, Assistant National Police Chief, along with Police Lieutenant General Suraphon Prembutr, Commander of Provincial Police Region 1, and investigative teams, held a press conference announcing the suspect’s arrest.
Lt. Gen. Suraphon stated that the suspect fully confessed to the crime. Before carrying out the robbery, the suspect scouted the gold shop’s layout, security presence, and escape routes. After the crime, he abandoned his motorcycle in a canal in Thanyaburi, hid in various communities without surveillance cameras, and changed his appearance by cutting his hair to avoid detection.
During the escape, the suspect pawned part of the stolen gold, melted some into gold bars, and sent portions to two accomplices. Some gold was also sent via parcel delivery to his wife in Songkhla to prevent police from recovering all stolen items. Additionally, he contacted his wife to request 10,000 baht to buy gold-melting tools and new clothes for disguise.
The suspect claimed he committed the robbery due to financial struggles and deliberately chose Pathum Thani to avoid recognition in his hometown of Songkhla, where he feared being identified. He also admitted to having previously visited a casino in Tachileik, Myanmar, and planned to flee to a neighboring country after the crime, leading authorities to believe he intended to use the stolen money for gambling. (TNA)
