Alleged Bangkok money truck robber arrested

PHOTOS: The Nation

Police have arrested a 19 year old man who allegedly stole 7.27 million baht from a Bangkok money truck last Saturday. His accomplice is still at large.

At a press conference today police announced that suspect Jirayus Suanmi was arrested yesterday (Wednesday). He allegedly robbed a money truck outside the Big C Extra shopping mall on Phetkasem Road in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district last Saturday.

Police say Jirayus’ alleged accomplice, 27 year old Thakdanai Niawrungjai, was still being tracked down.

A spokesperson says the suspects apparently planned the robbery well as they took just 10 seconds to grab the cash from the money truck and fled on their motorcycle.

The two robbers arrived on their motorcycle when the driver of the money truck and his helper came out of the shopping mall with 7.27 million baht cash in a bag, Chakthip said. They were carrying the cash from a Siam Commercial Bank branch and were about to load it into the truck when the two robbers struck.

Police say the pillion rider fired a gunshot into the air, causing one worker to run away, and the pillion rider forced another worker to throw him the money bag.

Jirayus admitted to police that he and Thakdanai planned the robbery by checking the routine of the money truck two days in advance. They found the truck always came around 6pm to 8pm to collect money from banks inside the mall.

Police report Jirayus led police to a rented room that Thakdanai had rented on Monday. Police recovered 3.6 million baht in cash from the room but police did not find the gun used in the robbery.