Phuket party thieves arrested with B1mn of stolen goods

PHUKET: Two hedonistic thieves who robbed a liquor store and drove off with their loot in the back of the store’s truck have been apprehended with over a million baht of loot from an extended stealing spree around Phuket.

Undercover officers first located Ekkachai “Ek” Sae Kang, 33, on a soi off Sakdidet Road, and he led them to his partner in crime, Watchara “Jo” Chuamanee, 37, in Srisoonthorn.

When apprehended, the two men were in possession of stolen goods valued at more than a million baht, including: computers, cellphones, watches, gold necklaces, a motorcycle, a Honda City car and the liquor store pickup truck.

The 12 kegs of beer, 10 bottles of whisky and two cartons of cigarettes they stole from the liquor store were no longer in their possession (story here).

Mr Ekkachai and Mr Watchara confessed to 20 robberies in less than two months, said Lt Col Prawit Engchuan, Phuket City Police inspector.

Their modus operandi, they told police, was to ride around on Mr Ekkachai’s motorcycle looking for a house with nobody at home.

“We would pick a house with a locked front door, cut the lock and search for valuables in the house,” said Mr Ekkachai.

“We searched separately and took whatever we found. And we do not share,” he explained.

“We sometimes ate some food and drink in the house we were robbing,” he added.

They sold the stolen items and used the money to gallivant around, said Col Prawit.

“They have both been charged with theft. In their quest for a good time they may have gained jail time,” he added.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong