Engineering student arrested for stealing iPhones and iPads in Nakhon Phanom

A 21 year old engineering student was apprehended in Mueang district, Nakhon Phanom, last night, following accusations of stealing iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers. The stolen goods, reportedly worth around 200,000 baht (US$5,640), were lifted from a branch of the Big C store.

The incident occurred at the Nakhon Phanom branch of Big C around 3am yesterday, January 30. Surveillance footage revealed the culprit, his features masked, unsuccessfully attempting to breach a gold shop and an ATM.

Following these failed attempts, the thief targeted a mobile phone shop within the same premises, making off with two iPad tablet computers and four iPhone smartphones. He made his escape through the store’s fire exit.

Nakhon Phanom’s police chief, Thawatchai Thungpao, revealed that a mobile phone dealer tipped off the police, after a man’s suspicious attempts to sell iPhones. This led to the suspect’s arrest in a rented room within the Mueang district. The accused, a second-year engineering student at a local university, goes by the name Tinakorn, reported Bangkok Post.

Hailing from Renu Nakhon district, Tinakorn allegedly confessed to the theft, citing debts accrued from online gambling as his motivation. He detailed his mode of entry into the store, which involved infiltrating the roof structure and descending to the floor.

In related news, in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok, a mobile phone shop owner issued a warning on social media after a thief stole 14 iPhones from Central Westville shopping mall. The heist, captured on CCTV, occurred after closing at 9.30pm on December 23.

Wearing a deceptive employee badge, the thief calmly stole newly launched iPhone 15 models, worth over 600,000 baht (US$16,906). The shop owner urged against buying the stolen phones and revealed a potential scam attempt.

A similar theft had occurred in Bangkok earlier. Despite demands for payment, the owner disclosed the incident to the public. The Bang Kruai Police Station is investigating, but the suspect remains at large.