Phuket cyclist arrested for robbing store with lighter gun

PHUKET: Police tracked down and arrested a known cyclist early this morning after he robbed his local Family Mart convenience store with a lighter gun to buy some beer a few hours earlier.

Key to finding the suspect, Narin Gamegaeman, 26, was that he made his getaway on his bicycle, said Maj Col Thitirat Arsakij of the Thung Thong Police.

Officers were called to the store, located on Wichit Songkram Road in Kathu, at about 9:30pm.

“The man came in to the shop, pulled out his gun, and said, ‘Give me the money!'”, cashier Daojai Panthuwan told the police.

“I was trying to give him the money when he hit me in the face with his other hand. He then grabbed all the money – about 1,400 baht – from the cash register and rode off on his bicycle.”

After sharing CCTV images of the robbery in action with local cycling clubs, police quickly learned that the suspect was Mr Narin.

“We went to his rented room, which is near the store, and arrested him at about 1:40am,” said Col Thitirat.

“We charged him for the robbery. During questioning by police, he told us that he needed the money to buy some beer and that he had only 100 baht left.”

— Kritsada Mueanhawong