Diamond thief captured on Thai border
by Kittipong Maneerit
He read about a gem-seller wanting to sell a diamond valued at 10 million baht. So he set up a fake gem shop in Bangkok for the sole purpose of preparing a sting to lure the seller into his ‘shop’. The man fell for it and was robbed of his precious stone. The 59 year old thief then sped off on a motorcycle registered to a dead man. Sounds like a good script for a Hollywood heist film. But this happened this week.
But the thief’s freedom didn’t last long.
The Nation reports that police have now arrested a suspect at a border checkpoint last night for allegedly stealing a 10 million baht diamond from its owner in the fake shop earlier this week.
Read what happened during the robbery HERE.
An informed source says that 59 year old Pipaspongpas Suksawaspipat was nabbed in response to an arrest warrant in Chanthaburi province while he was trying to cross the borders into Cambodia. A court approved an arrest warrant for Pipaspongpas on Wednesday after he made off from his fake jewelry shop in Bangkok’s Bang Rak district with the 10 million baht diamond.
He had pretended to examine the diamond during what his 44 year old Indian victim thought was a normal business negotiation on Tuesday afternoon.
The Indian man, Jain Vaivphav had advertised the diamond for sale on a website. Pipaspongpas approached him and invited him to the elaborate fake shop. There, Pipaspongpas discussed a deal before asking to see the stone in natural light. Stepping outside, he then locked Vaiphav inside the shop and made his getaway on a waiting motorcycle.
Vaiphav had to smash a locked glass door to get out and alert police.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Nation
