Chinese man robbed of 3 million baht by thieves in Chon Buri

A Chinese man accused his Chinese girlfriend of being a decoy after three thieves broke into his home in Chon Buri and stole 3 million baht from him last night.

The Chinese victim, 43 year old Qian Peng Yi, called Nongprue Police Station officers to his home in Soi Lablae, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, after the theft of 3 million baht and other valuables at approximately 9pm, yesterday, July 17.

Police reported that the incident occurred at a luxury two-storey home built on a 60 to 80-square-metre plot of land. Qian was waiting for the police outside his home, visibly shaken and frightened by the incident. He had wounds on his ankles and wrists where the thieves had tied him with cable ties.

Objects were scattered across both floors, indicating the thieves’ search for valuables.

Qian told police that he had been living in Thailand for almost two years and ran a business in the country. On the night of the incident, he heard his dog barking loudly and went downstairs to investigate. To his shock, he encountered three thieves in his home.

One thief carried a gun while another carried a knife. The man with the gun forced Qian to lead him to his bedroom, while the other two thieves caught a Chinese woman, Peizhi Tu, who emerged from the bathroom and took her to the bedroom as well.

Qian did not clarify the relationship between him and Peizhi. Channel 7 believes she is his girlfriend, while Channel 3 reported that Peishi was his cousin.

Woman co-conspirator

The thieves ordered Qian and Peizhi to lie face down on the bed and tied their arms and legs with cable ties. They then demanded 10 million baht in exchange for their freedom, urging Qian to transfer the money in cryptocurrency.

The thieves used Qian’s mobile phone to contact his Malaysian friend, pretending to be him. They asked the friend to transfer cryptocurrency to Qian’s account but the friend was suspicious as he knew Qian did not use cryptocurrency.

However, the thieves managed to transfer 3 million baht from Qian’s bank account to their own and stole other belongings, including a laptop, a smartphone, and two computers. The security camera system was damaged, so no footage was captured.

Qian seized an opportunity to escape while the thieves were occupied with his valuables and hid outside the house. While hiding, he saw the thieves leaving the scene with Peizhi.

Confused, Qian began to suspect Peizhi of being involved in the theft. He stated that Peizhi had only been living with him for five to six months before the incident.

The Chon Buri Immigration Bureau tried to find Peizhi but discovered that she had left Thailand via Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 1.30pm, yesterday July 17.

Officers are now working to identify the three thieves and any others involved in the crime.