Thai transwoman and boyfriend steal 3 million baht in cash and gold
Police arrested a Thai transwoman and her boyfriend for stealing a safe containing 3 million baht in cash and gold from a house in the Isaan province of Loei on Sunday.
A homeowner filed a complaint with officers at Phu Ruea Police Station after the 50-kilogramme safe was stolen at approximately 11.23am on Sunday, January 19. The safe contained nearly 400,000 baht worth of gold, 200,000 baht in cash, and a firearm. The suspects were identified as a transwoman named Saruta and her boyfriend, Wissanu.
Saruta and Wissanu were caught on security camera footage fleeing the scene in a pickup. They were heading from the Isaan region of Thailand towards the northern part of the country. Police set up checkpoints and managed to stop them near Rong Kwang Hospital in the northern province of Phrae.
Police searched Saruta’s bag and found 75,940 baht in cash, along with several gold accessories belonging to the victim.
Saruta confessed that she had significant debts and needed money to resolve her financial problems. She had a close relationship with the homeowner and often visited the house. She was aware that the homeowner possessed considerable money and valuables, as the owner provided loans and earned substantial interest from debtors.
Saruta said she seized the opportunity to steal the safe while the homeowner was in the backyard. She acted alone in stealing the safe and asked her boyfriend to pick her up afterwards.
Saruta admitted to breaking into the safe with a wooden stick to retrieve the valuables and cash before discarding the safe in a river near Phu Ruea Airport in Loei.
The couple stated they were attempting to flee Loei to hide at a relative’s home in the northern province of Chiang Rai.
The legal punishment that Saruta and her boyfriend will face was not mentioned in the report. However, based on a similar case, the pair could be charged under Section 334 of the Criminal Law for theft, which carries a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 60,000 baht.
In a related story, Thai police are investigating a theft at the house of a Chinese businessman in Pattaya. The thief broke into the house and stole multiple luxury watches valued at over 100 million baht. The Chinese housekeeper is under suspicion, but the man insists that neither he nor his family was at home during the incident.
Latest Thailand News
