Phuket Fortuner thieves busted with GPS jammer
Police foil cross-border car theft ring after high-speed interception in Prachuap Khiri Khan
Two women who posed as tourists to steal a Phuket-registered Toyota Fortuner were arrested in Prachuap Khiri Khan after attempting to drive the stolen vehicle across Thailand undetected.
The suspects, identified as Supaporn and Khemnan, were intercepted at the Nong Phai Intersection red light on Highway No. 37, in Thap Tai subdistrict, Hua Hin district, following a tip-off from the victim, a car rental operator in Surat Thani province.
According to police, the pair had rented the white Toyota Fortuner under the guise of being tourists, arranging for it to be delivered to Surat Thani Airport. After taking the vehicle, the suspects reportedly waited until the early hours to cut its GPS tracking signal using a jammer device while the rental business owner was asleep.
The victim, Kittiphum, quickly discovered that the vehicle had gone off the grid and suspected foul play. He contacted the Highway Police hotline (1193), requesting immediate intervention. Officers from the Prachuap Khiri Khan Highway Police set up an interception and successfully stopped the car at the checkpoint.
Inside the vehicle, police found the GPS jammer still plugged into a backup battery, two fake red licence plates registered in Bangkok, and a forged vehicle registration book.
The suspects confessed to the crime, telling police they were hired by a man known only as “Mr Boss” via a closed Facebook group. He allegedly paid them 10,000 baht per vehicle, covering their travel and accommodation expenses. “Mr Boss” also provided the fake licence plates and the jammer used to avoid detection, reported The Phuket News.
Police believe the stolen Fortuner was en route to Sa Kaeo province, near the Cambodian border, where it would be smuggled out of the country. Investigators also discovered that Supaporn had a prior conviction for operating a mule account, while Khemnan had an active arrest warrant for theft and a history of fraud involving rental cars across multiple provinces. The pair admitted to committing similar offences more than 10 times.
Both women were charged with joint theft and handed over to Phunphin Police Station for legal proceedings. Police say an expanded investigation is now underway to track down “Mr Boss” and others involved in the vehicle trafficking ring.
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