Grand theft auto: Crooked car crew caught in claction
A notorious car theft gang has been brought to justice after raking in over 40 million baht by stealing and reselling at least 50 rental cars. The criminals used fake documents to register the vehicles before selling them online, leading to their eventual downfall.
Police Major General Khongkrit Loetsitthikun, commander of the Highway Police Division, triumphantly announced yesterday, March 20, that eight of the nine suspects have been nabbed.
Among those arrested are four women, with the suspects identified only by their first names: 32 year old Phattharada, 32 year old Tharathep, Chokchana, 66 year old, Ramphai, 30 year old Warut, who’s still on the run, 35 year old Ratthanaphon, 32 year old, Sippawin, 30 year old Ramwirin, and 39 year old Chaiwat.
The slippery suspects face a slew of charges, including embezzlement, forgery, and providing false information to acquire government documents illegally. Their audacious operation came crashing down when arrests took place on Wednesday.
The brains behind the operation, Phattharada and Tharathep, orchestrated and funded the entire scheme. Meanwhile, Chokchana, Ramphai, and the elusive Warut handled the actual theft of the cars.
Ratthanaphon and Sippawin were the document forgers, ensuring re-registration and new license plates went off without a hitch.
Ramwirin took charge of the online sales, while Chaiwat delivered the stolen wheels to unsuspecting buyers.
Their criminal escapades began to unravel in December when a car rental owner in Chachoengsao noticed one of her cars had been illicitly re-registered with a brand new license plate in Nakhon Pathom, prompting her to call in the highway police.
Lieutenant Colonel Thotsaphon Kittilap, chief investigator at Highway Police Station 3, revealed that the Department of Land Transport‘s mobile application confirmed the plate reassignment using falsified documents.
The breakthrough came on January 8, when highway police chased down the stolen vehicle leaving Nakhon Pathom, eventually intercepting it in Tak. The buyer, who innocently purchased the car for 300,000 baht online, was detained for questioning.
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