Indie guitarist hits rock bottom: From strings to online gambling sins

A renowned ex-Indie band guitarist found himself on the wrong side of the law after falling into online gambling and resorting to theft.

The 31 year old musician, Anutree, was apprehended for theft today by the police team led by Thiti Saengsaeng, Napasorn Poolsawat, Theeradech Thammasuthee, and Warapoj Rungkrajang.

The arrest came after an incident on October 10, when an unidentified middle-aged man stole a black Honda Click motorbike from the parking area of Phra Mongkut Hospital, Ratchathewi. The stolen motorbike was later returned to the victim yesterday following Anutree’s capture.

Anutree confessed that the Covid-19 pandemic had drastically impacted his life. The downturn forced him from being a night-time Indie guitarist with Image Room band in Thong Lor, Ekamai, enjoying nights out and online gambling, to selling second-hand goods due to financial constraints.

This led him to commit the theft. He took advantage of the victim leaving the key in the motorbike, removed the license plate, and left it in a secluded area away from public view for around three to four days to evade police detection.

Later, he posted a picture of the motorbike on a Facebook group for selling second-hand motorbikes for 2,500 baht. This led to his arrest by the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Investigation Division (IDMB) along with the stolen goods, reported KhaoSod.

Theeradech advised the public to be cautious, check, and avoid leaving keys in their motorbikes, and choose safe parking areas to prevent theft. He insisted that the Metropolitan Police Bureau Investigation Division will continue to investigate and track illegal motorbike trading on social media platforms like Facebook, to curb and suppress these criminal organizations.

In related news, a probe into an online gambling network has resulted in the issuance of arrest warrants for eight police officers believed to be overseeing gambling websites and profiting from them. This extensive search operation covered more than 30 locations across six provinces throughout the country. Read more HERE.

Follow more of The Thaiger’s latest stories on our new Facebook page HERE.