Hong Kong tourist caught reporting false robbery in Chalong

PHUKET: A Hong Kong tourist has been arrested in Chalong for making a false police report on Sunday morning.

At about 1:30am Chalong Police called the Tourist Police hotline to assist them with a robbery complaint.

When Phuket Tourist Police arrived they found 22-year-old Wong Wai Ki Warwick Taboctabo – who told police he is from Hong Kong, but holds a Philippines passport – reporting the theft of his bag.

“He told police that he had just arrived on the island on Saturday. He then caught a taxi to have food at a restaurant that he did not know the name of. The next thing he knew his bag was stolen,” explained Phuket Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit.

“Mr Taboctabo claimed that the bag contained a mobile phone and a MacBook. When he realized that it was gone, he immediately went to the Chalong Police Station.”

When police checked Mr Taboctabo’s other bag, they found a keycard to a room at Rawai Palm Beach Resort.

“After finding the keycard, we knew things didn’t add up. We took Mr Taboctabo to the resort and searched the room. There we found the mobile phone that he had claimed as stolen,” said Maj Urumporn.

Mr Taboctabo has been charged with intentionally reporting false information to police and has been handed over to the Chalong Police for further investigation.

Though police have yet to find out why Mr Taboctabo falsely reported his items as stolen, it is not the first time a false robbery has been filed this year.

Two weeks ago a South African tourist was arrested after he was caught reporting stolen items in order to scam his insurance company (story here).

In January a French tourist was charged with filing a false police report after claiming her bag was snatched in order to claim her lost camera with her travel insurance company (story here).

Reporting false information to officers carries a penalty of up three years imprisonment, a fine of up to 6,000 baht or both.

— Chutharat Plerin