Spaniard arrested for stealing handbag at Patong nightclub

A Spaniard found himself in hot water as he was arrested on the night of January 6, in Patong for allegedly pilfering a handbag from a Mongolian woman at the Illuzion nightclub, a popular hotspot on Bangla Road.

The incident unfolded when Patong Police Station officers were alerted to a theft complaint from a Mongolian woman. The crime was reported to have taken place at the Illuzion nightclub on Bangla Road. The exact time of the event, however, was not specified.

The Illuzion nightclub is currently under heightened scrutiny as it is part of a pilot scheme which permits entertainment venues to stay open until the early hours of 4am. The club has also been utilised for various safety and security training exercises and inspections, an effort to highlight Patong’s readiness to tackle undesirable incidents.

The stolen items from the woman’s bag included a purple iPhone, a key to her hotel room, and roughly 10,000 baht (US$288) in cash. The bag was reportedly left unattended on a sofa by the woman at the time of the theft, reported Phuket News.

Acting promptly, the Patong Police reviewed the CCTV footage to identify the suspect. He was apprehended before 3am yesterday (January 7).

The arrest was made at a location mentioned in the report as being in front of the Bangla Police Box on Thaweewong Road. This location is directly opposite the entrance to Bangla Road and is less than 300 metres away from the Illuzion nightclub.

During the arrest, the police retrieved an iPhone 14 Pro, described as purple, among eight other pieces of evidence. Interestingly, among the nine pieces of evidence gathered, the reported 10,000 baht in cash and the hotel key were not listed.

In related news, fashion designer Prae recently reached out looking for help to identify a foreigner who allegedly stole glasses from the VATANIKA store. CCTV footage sparks social media attention. In another incident, a Phuket cab driver catches a foreigner stealing 3,600 baht (US$103) on camera, seeking justice with police involvement.