Another member of Chinese theft gang arrested after three years on the run in Chiang Mai

Police officers in Chiang Mai, Thailand, say they have arrested another member of a Chinese-led theft gang after he spent three years on the run.

Namnua, alias Jongchiang Sae Lor was arrested in front of a house in the Chai Prakarn district of Chiang Mai. Jonchiang, who holds Thai nationality, has been wanted on an arrest warrant by the Pattaya Provincial Court since March 2020 for allegedly colluding in theft.

According to Bangkok Post, the arrest warrant was issued by the court for the 34 year old after a complaint was lodged. The complaint detailed four men that robbed Liu Bao, a Chinese national, of his luxury car in Nong Prue of Bang Lamung district in Chon Buri in late 2019.

Liu told police the robbers attacked him and forced him at knifepoint to write a contract in the Chinese language that said he owed them 1 million baht and sign over his car.

He says the robbers then fled after dumping him in a deserted area along the Thung Klom-Tanman route in the Bang Lamung district.

Police say they identified the four suspects – Chinese national and gang leader Choen Choengchai, two other Chinese nationals and Jongchiang. The 46 year old Choen was arrested previously before Jongchiang.

Police then learned that Jongchiang had been in hiding in Chiang Mai and apprehended him last Saturday. Police went on to say that Jongchiang confessed to the charges, but claimed the victim owed millions of baht in debts related to a construction business of his boss, Choen.

Jongchiang was handed over to police in Nong Prue station in Chon Buri to face legal action.

Meanwhile, residents of a luxury village in Pattaya called on the authorities to investigate the home of a Chinese man after they witnessed a white lion cub roaming around the community.

The 39 year old Chinese man named Shen Tai contacted Pattaya authorities on Tuesday night that his three- month old female white lion cub had gone missing. Later, he informed the officers that he found his pet hiding inside the house.

After hearing about the lion’s escape, the man’s neighbours were apprehensive about another incident and requested the relevant authorities to investigate the house and implement measures to ensure their safety.