Armed gang steals 23 million baht in gold from Narathiwat supermarket
Police encounter traps while tracing escape route of criminal gang
An armed gang of between seven and ten suspects escaped with gold accessories worth more than 23 million baht after a robbery at a gold shop in the southern province of Narathiwat yesterday, October 5.
Security cameras at the Big C supermarket in Su-ngai Kolok district clearly captured the heist, which took place at around 6.30pm.
The robbers, all dressed in black and armed with guns, arrived at the supermarket in two pickup trucks, a bronze-silver Isuzu D-Max with registration plate กค 6521 Narathiwat and a Toyota Vigo with registration plate 7187 Pattani.
The group split into two teams, one restrained the supermarket’s security guards while the other stormed the gold shop inside. The area was crowded with shoppers and diners before panic broke out. One man, 30 year old Jeerasak Porni, was taken hostage during the incident.
A soldier, 27 year old Sergeant Burin Radachai, was seriously injured after being shot multiple times in the neck, chest, and leg. His current condition is not disclosed.
The robbers made off with more than 23 million baht worth of gold accessories from the Krungthep-Yaowarat Gold Shop before fleeing in the two pickup trucks.
During their escape, they scattered sailboat nails along the road to hinder pursuit and left behind two suspicious devices resembling bombs. Officers closed the road while bomb disposal officers inspected the items.
Police are now reviewing additional CCTV footage along the gang’s escape route and conducting further investigations to confirm their identities. The exact number of suspects in the case remains unconfirmed.
This robbery follows a similar incident two weeks ago in the central province of Saraburi, where a thief took a customer hostage and fled with 240,000 baht worth of gold.
In April, another gold thief disguised as a delivery rider escaped a Bangkok shopping mall with more than 8 million baht in stolen gold jewellery after threatening shop staff with a gun.
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