Smiling bag-snatcher caught, alive

PHUKET TOWN: The smiling bag snatcher who grabbed at least 11 purses in Phuket over the last month, including five in one 24-hour period, was nabbed by police after committing another crime at Tesco Lotus Supercenter on Thursday night. On Wednesday, Pol Col Chalit Thinthanee, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police, ordered his officers to catch the bag-snatcher “dead or alive”. The culprit, identified as 25-year-old Moohesam Heena from Narathiwat, was arrested after he stole a carton of cigarettes and a pair of sports shoes from Lotus. Police were called to the store and caught Moohesam as he was riding his motorcycle out of the parking lot. Police said the suspect appeared to be high on ecstasy and had difficulty answering their questions. Moohesam at first denied the crime, and identified himself using various names which police later discovered belonged to his father and brother. During a search of his residence on Thepkrasattri Rd, officers discovered items reported by bag-snatch victims as having been stolen. A few hours later, after Moohesam’s head had cleared, he admitted that he had committed all of the crimes on his own. He also told police that that he had arrived in Phuket a month ago and was unemployed. Four of Moohesam’s vicitims went to Phuket Town Police Station yesterday morning and identified him as the culprit. Moohesam’s bag-snatching modus operandi was to drive up alongside women on motorbikes, give them a big grin and then snatch their bags or purses.