Cops catch last suspects in Pattaya robbery of Chinese tourists
Cops caught all the last suspects involved in the robbery case targeting Chinese tourists in Pattaya on May 3. The arrests were made at a border location in Thailand’s eastern Sa Kaeo province.
Yesterday morning, Pattaya Police apprehended the three remaining suspects linked to the robbery. The individuals were identified as 31 year old Sarawut Suthaphot, the alleged mastermind behind the robbery, 26 year old Nakarin Sae Teo, and 27 year old Wanchai Kreedkrai.
The arrest took place near the natural border crossing point, near the Aranyaprathet Border Checkpoint, within the Khlong Luek sub-district of the Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo province. The suspects were taken into custody along with firearms and some of the stolen belongings belonging to the Chinese victims.
During the investigation, all three suspects admitted to their involvement in the crime. They claimed that they mistakenly believed their targets were a group of wealthy Chinese businesspeople. However, upon carrying out the robbery, they discovered that the victims were ordinary Chinese tourists.
After learning that the other two accomplices had been arrested by the police, the remaining three suspects attempted to flee to Cambodia through the Chanthaburi province. They moved back and forth between the two countries until their funds were depleted, The Pattaya News reported.
Eventually, the suspects relocated to the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo in search of employment. However, they accidentally exposed their location by using a mobile phone, leading to their capture by the police.
The suspects confessed that their motive for the robbery was driven by their addiction to online gambling. Following their arrest, the investigating team escorted all three men to the Khlong Luek Police Station to record their statements. They were subsequently transferred to the Pattaya Police Station for further questioning.
Upon examining the criminal records of the perpetrators, the police discovered that Sarawut had previously faced charges related to drug offences. Nakarin had also been prosecuted for possession of Category 1 narcotics and involvement in illegal gambling, while Wanchai had a history of prosecution related to illegal gambling activities.
All suspects remain in police custody.
