Police nab B21mn gold heist bandits after ‘insider’ confesses

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: POLICE quickly nabbed two men yesterday for allegedly stealing gold ornaments worth Bt21 million.

Suriyachan Thaitanu, a new employee of gold-ornament factory Shining Gold, told police that he plotted the robbery in the hope of using the stolen gold for his wedding ceremony and clearing a football-gambling debt.

His accomplice was Sompong Kamson, according to the ongoing police investigation.

Police said Sompong, riding on a motorcycle, shot at a vehicle transporting the gold ornaments while it was on its way to factory customers.

The robbery took place on Soi Wat Kedprapha in Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka district shortly before 11.30am.

Korakot Changdecha was driving the gold-transportation vehicle when Sompong came alongside and shot out the vehicle’s tyre.

Korakot lost control of the vehicle, which hit a wall, prompting the driver to run for his life, while Suriyachan, who was also in the vehicle, pretended to do the same. However, after being grilled by police, Suriyachan confessed to being part of the heist. Police were then able to arrest Sompong and retrieve the gold.

Shining Gold owner Somsak Tantachon said: “I’ve been in this business for 20 years and such an incident has never happened before.”

— Phuket Gazette Editors