Thai man arrested for 8 million baht gold robbery in Samut Prakan
Only about 4.5 million baht worth of gold recovered
Police yesterday, August 19, arrested a Thai man who stole over 8 million baht worth of gold accessories from a shop in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. Only about 4.5 million baht worth of gold was recovered.
A male thief dressed in a delivery rider’s uniform robbed a gold shop in a shopping mall in the Bang Bo neighbourhood of Samut Prakan on August 14. He threatened staff with a gun before snatching several gold accessories, placing them in his black cross-body bag and escaping the scene on his motorcycle.
The shopping mall security guard told Bang Bo Police Station officers that he had tried to stop the thief when he entered the mall, behaving suspiciously while wearing a motorcycle helmet indoors. The guard asked him to remove the helmet, but the thief ignored him and walked towards the targeted shop.
Police reviewed security camera footage and traced the suspect riding his motorcycle along Bangna-Trat Road before turning into an alley near Thana City Country Club. He then rode his motorcycle into a canal in the area, changed his clothes, and travelled back home with his younger brother, who picked him up by boat.
Officers successfully identified the suspect as 31 year old Weerawat, also known as Arm. He owned a car garage attached to the canal, which also served as his accommodation.
Police raided his home and arrested him yesterday. Weerawat confessed to the crime and revealed that he had a large informal debt after borrowing money from loan sharks to build the garage. Facing high daily interest payments, he attempted to resolve his financial troubles through the gold robbery.
Weerawat then led police to the spot where he hid the remaining stolen gold, worth approximately 4.5 million baht. He placed it in a plastic bag and buried it near a tree outside his home. More gold was found hidden in a speaker inside the suspect’s home.
Interrogations are ongoing, and police have not yet clarified the legal punishment the suspect will face.
Based on previous cases, Weerawat may face five to ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 to 200,000 baht for using violence or threats to commit theft or facilitate escape, according to Section 339 of the Criminal Law.
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