Robbery at Bang Phli mall: Gold worth 400,000 baht stolen
An armed robbery rocked employees at a prominent shopping mall in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan, when a rider, brandishing a gun, swooped to steal gold worth over 400,000 baht.
The incident took place yesterday, April 2 at 7.30pm. Officers at Bang Phli Police Station in Samut Prakan responded to a report of a gun-wielding man robbing a gold shop on the second floor of the mall in Bang Phli Yai subdistrict. Upon receiving the report, patrol officers, investigators, and forensic officials were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, officials found shop employees visibly shaken by the event. According to their accounts, the perpetrator was a single male wearing a green long-sleeved shirt belonging to a food delivery service, along with a black helmet.
He entered the store brandishing a firearm and took gold necklaces worth over 400,000 baht (US$11,640). The stolen items included two necklaces weighing 3 baht each and one necklace weighing 2 baht. After the robbery, the suspect fled, prompting officials to cordon off the area and report to their superiors.
Police Major General Wichit Boonchinwutthikul, the Samut Prakan Provincial Police Commander, along with Police Colonel Phairot Phetchploy, Bang Phli Police Station superintendent, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Santirat Ngernman, the deputy chief investigator, arrived at the scene to conduct further investigations.
They also examined the area around the Samrong Bridge near Wat Luang Phor Toh alley, following leads that the suspect discarded the helmet and jacket into the canal before escaping on a motorcycle.
Gold necklace
Surveillance footage from the shop captured the moment of the robbery. The video showed other customers browsing necklaces while three employees were serving them.
Suddenly, a man in a rider’s outfit, wearing a helmet and black trousers, with a waist bag, stormed the shop, brandishing what appeared to be a gun, and grabbed necklaces from the display tray intended for customer review. The entire incident lasted less than a minute.
An employee recounted that a customer had asked to see the necklaces, claiming he intended to buy them for his grandmother. As the employee returned from the restroom, the robbery unfolded.
The suspect approached, brandished a weapon, and declared it a robbery before seizing the necklaces. The suspect was described as not particularly tall and wearing a distinctive rider shirt. After the robbery, he fled downstairs, prompting the store manager to alert others.
Residents noted the perpetrator’s hurried manner, mistaking him initially for someone seeking the restroom. After the robbery, he discarded the helmet into water, removed his rider shirt, and reportedly donned a black jacket before speeding away on a motorcycle, reported KhaoSod.
The Samut Prakan police commander confirmed that the suspect acted alone, using what appeared to be a gun to steal three gold necklaces. He urged gold shops to exercise caution as gold prices rise, especially with the approaching Songkran festival, warning against those contemplating robbery as a quick solution to financial woes.
Police are currently investigating the case and requested a few days to progress with their inquiries.
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