Phuket pitstop: Police arrest Myanmar man for motorbike thefts

A man from Myanmar was apprehended near Kata Hill, Phuket, by Karon police around 8pm yesterday. The arrest came after a series of motorbike thefts that had taken place in the region since August of the previous year. Nyi Nyi Htwe had been identified as the prime suspect and was under the scrutiny of an arrest warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court.

Nyi Nyi Htwe confessed to his modus operandi – his strategy involved arriving in Phuket by bus and roaming the streets in search of motorbikes with keys left in them. Upon finding one, he would nonchalantly sit on the motorbike as if it were his, turn the key in the ignition and then drive away.

His actions were captured on CCTV during one of the thefts, providing the police with a clear description of the thief they were seeking. This footage became a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation.

Upon receiving information that Nyi Nyi Htwe had returned to the area, the police tracked him down and made the arrest. He is now facing charges of committing theft at night. In addition to this, the police suspect that Nyi Nyi Htwe may be linked to other similar incidents of motorbike thefts in the area.

In related news, an unsuspecting blue Honda Scoopy motorbike was whisked away from its temporary parking spot on Wiset Road, Rawai, in Phuket leaving its rider, Taiwanese tourist Chen Hong Xi, and owner, Narongchai Wangboonkong, in a state of distress. The theft of the rented motorbike was promptly reported to the Chalong Police on December 2 by Narongchai.

The officers of Chalong Police Station, under the vigilant watch of Police Chief Police Colonel Ekkarat Plaiduang, swung into action. Their investigative prowess led them to Soi Saiyuan, in Moo 7, Rawai, where the stolen motorbike was found discreetly parked under a blue tarpaulin, as though mirroring its original colour in an attempt to blend into the background.