On February 4, the Thai Police Department for Crime Prevention (CSD) arrested a 15-year-old teenager, from Songkhla province, at Ubon Ratchathani bus station, just 1 day after he was accused of stealing gold worth about 2.43 million baht (1.8 billion VND) at a store in a shopping center in Hat Yai.
CSD officers of Division 6, in coordination with Division 3, tracked down the suspect through surveillance camera images and other related evidence.
According to the investigation, this teenager sent the stolen gold to a friend, then flew from Hat Yai to Don Mueang airport, waited until dawn and then took a bus from Mo Chit to Ubon Ratchathani.
When the police approached and identified themselves at about 6:45 pm, the suspect appeared panicked and tried to run away but was quickly controlled. This person is believed to have confessed to the act and was later taken to the Ubon Ratchathani Road Police unit for further interrogation.
The theft occurred at 6:30 PM on February 3rd (local time) at Burapa Gold Shop, a branch in Lotus’s center in Tambon Kho Hong, Hat Yai.
Images extracted from the camera show that a man about 1.6-1.7m tall, wearing a helmet and black clothes, jumped over the counter, snatched gold jewelry trays hanging on the wall and ran away after swinging a hammer to threaten.
The store manager, Mr. Wuthidet Noo-iad, said that the thief did not say any threats, and in a short time took away 33 necklaces and bracelets worth 2.43 million baht. Store staff were trained to store large items in safes at night.
Police seized a gold necklace, a helmet and a shoe at the shopping center's parking lot. A security guard said the thief hurriedly stuffed the jewelry into his pants pocket and shoulder bag, dropping the necklace. This person did not confront the suspect after a store employee shouted that the thief was armed.
Images from the camera also showed that the suspect's motorbike was parked with its head turned out, ready to escape quickly.
After that, police determined that this motorbike had been reported stolen in Na Mom district at 3:30 pm on the same day. The motorbike theft took place about 3 hours before the gold shop robbery.
