Russian woman loses shoulder bag to snatcher in Phuket

A Russian woman last night lost her shoulder bag to an opportunist thief while sitting on a motorcycle outside her condominium in Phuket.

Alisa Makarenko, the victim, reported the theft at Mueang Phuket Police Station at 9.30pm, yesterday, June 23. She informed the police that she had left Supalai Vista condominium on her motorcycle around 8.40pm.

According to her account, a man dressed in all-black attire and a blue helmet approached her on a motorcycle and abruptly snatched her shoulder bag, which she had placed on her lap. The thief fled towards Takuapa Road, then continued along Ratsada Road, Suriyadate Roundabout, Bangkok Road, and Poonphon Road. Despite asking a passing motorcycle rider for help, the thief managed to escape before he could be intercepted.

The stolen bag contained a debit card, three credit cards, 60 baht in cash, a power bank, and personal items.

Police are currently examining CCTV footage from the area in hopes of locating and apprehending the perpetrator promptly. They express confidence in making an arrest soon.

In a similar report in January, Phuket police officers arrested a Colombian man for snatching a shoulder bag from a Russian woman at Aoi Suk Charoen in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. Officers managed to retrieve all of the victim’s items, including headphones, a driving licence, a silver necklace and ring, and 3,000 baht in cash.

In April, another Russian woman lost her bag, containing an iPhone 15 and 3,000 rubles (about 1,200 baht), on Jomtien Beach in Pattaya. The victim was not certain whether the bag was stolen or if she had misplaced it, so she sought help from the police.

A recent bag theft was reported in Phuket on June 20, but this time, a Russian national was the thief, not a victim. A Thai woman shared a picture of the Russian thief who stole her bag from a counter at a bar in the Karon area of Phuket. The bag contained 15,000 baht in cash and a mobile phone, and the Russian suspect remains at large.