Chinese gold robbery suspects tracked by cigarette butts
Police arrested two Chinese nationals after tracking them through cigarette butts left at the scene of a gold robbery in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, April 27.
Officers from Chok Chai Police Station and Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police investigated the robbery at a gold shop in Dan Kwian subdistrict, Chok Chai district, which took place at around 10.10am.
CCTV footage showed two male suspects wearing black long-sleeve shirts, shorts, and trainers, with their faces covered by black balaclavas.
The suspects were seen threatening staff with a gun, smashing a glass display counter with a hammer, and taking gold rings. According to ThaiRath, about 30 gold rings worth approximately 380,000 baht were stolen before the pair fled in a white Toyota sedan.
During the investigation, officers recovered cigarette butts of Chinese brands near the shop, leading police to suspect the robbers were Chinese nationals. Further checks found the vehicle used in the robbery had been rented from a shop in Prawet district, Bangkok, with its registration plate visible on security footage.
Police tracked the vehicle heading towards Bangkok and believed the suspects would return it to the rental shop. Officers contacted the shop owner and asked them to delay the suspects until police arrived and made the arrest.
The suspects were identified as 27 year old Zou Qintao and 18 year old Song Haolong. All stolen gold rings were recovered from the vehicle and seized as evidence.
According to reports on ThaiRath, the suspects told police they had travelled from Guangdong province for a holiday and had Thai girlfriends. They said they had spent their money and carried out the robbery to fund further travel.
The two men were detained at Prawet Police Station and are awaiting transfer to Chok Chai Police Station for legal proceedings. INN News reported that the suspects claimed the gun used in the robbery was not real and had been discarded after the incident.
Police have not yet confirmed the charges. Based on similar cases, the suspects may face charges under Section 335 of the Criminal Law for theft involving the use of a vehicle to commit or escape the crime, which carries a penalty of one to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 baht.
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