Phuket police confirmed they are seeking a Russian man, 47 year old Vitalii Kobin accused of stealing foreign worth more than 600,000 baht from a currency exchange shop inside a Phuket shopping centre.
The suspect is also alleged to have overstayed in Thailand by more than a year and police got a court approved arrest warrant, on 29 July 2026.
Police described a carefully planned theft in which the man used the exchange shop posing as a customer before secretly placing a camera where it could capture the safe combination.
Camera used to obtain safe code
After leaving the shop, the suspect reportedly remained inside the shopping centre while monitoring the camera online. This is said to have allowed him to obtain the code needed to open the safe.
He later broke into the shop, entered the safe using the code and took the cash before quickly leaving the shopping centre and driving away.
Police investigating were initially led to a rented room believed to be linked to the suspect. However, when officers entered, they reportedly found an empty room fitted with several cameras rather than the man himself.
The suspect was allegedly staying in another room at a different location and was able to watch police enter the decoy room through the cameras connected online.
Police described the operation as professional and believe the man may have carried out similar thefts before. They said he had come to Phuket specifically to commit thefts.
Foreign identity data allegedly misused
Vitalii Kobin is also alleged to have hacked into an online gambling website and extracted data belonging to a foreign user on the platform.
He then used that person's name, passport details and other personal information to rent vehicles and accommodation, use cards and carry out other transactions.
Police did not identify the foreign user whose information was allegedly taken, and reported that they believe the suspect is still hiding somewhere in Thailand.
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30 July 2026
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