Malaysian man wanted for 6.9 million baht gold theft in Songkhla
Police are hunting for a Malaysian man who stole gold accessories worth over 6.9 million baht from a shop in the Hat Yai district of the southern province of Songkhla.
The thief arrived at the gold shop on Montri 1 Road in Hat Yai district yesterday, April 8, wearing white trousers, a dark blue-grey polo shirt, and a hat. He carried a black cross-body bag and concealed his identity with a face mask. He revealed his criminal intent immediately upon arrival.
CCTV footage showed the thief pointing his finger at the store workers and the display of gold accessories and threatening them. Each worker stepped away from the counter, concerned for their safety, allowing the thief to seize the valuables.
One of the workers was seen waiing (paying respect) to the thief and pleading with him to stop, but to no avail. He calmly placed gold necklaces and bracelets into his bag and fled the scene on his motorcycle.
The thief used a chair to prop open the front door of the store, enabling an easy escape and preventing himself from being locked inside.
The shop owners told Channel 3 that their store was targeted because their counter was not enclosed by a security barrier, unlike other shops. Furthermore, the shop lacked an advanced security system.
The owner added that they planned to improve the store’s security measures, but the incident occurred before any upgrades were made.
Officers from Hat Yai Police Station later identified the thief as 61 year old Malaysian national Ye Boon Long. Yee managed to steal 57 gold necklaces and bracelets, valued at over 6.9 million baht.
Yee is known to have a lengthy criminal history. He reportedly stole gold worth over 50 million baht in Malaysia in 2007 and fled to Thailand to evade arrest.
He continued his criminal activities, including the murder of two people in a house in the Koh Yor sub-district of Mueang district, Songkhla province, in 2014. In 2017, he allegedly stole gold worth nearly 2.5 million baht from a shop located opposite the scene of this recent theft.
Yee was arrested and imprisoned but was released last year, only to reoffend.
In the latest case, officers have issued an arrest warrant for Yee, though no further updates have been released regarding his pursuit.
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