Phuket police arrest man for stealing from Russian tourist at beach

[webfact]

Man arrested for stealing from tourist at beach

By The Nation

 

Phuket police arrested a Thai man soon after he stole a bag containing an iPhone 8 Plus from a Russian tourist at a beach on Sunday evening.

 

Preecha Homsup, 27, from Ubon Ratchathani, was arrested at 7pm in front of a Family Mart convenience store in Tambon Choeng Thalay, Thalang district, near Surin Beach.

 

He was charged with stealing a black iPhone 8 Plus and a backpack belonging to Angelina Belova, 29, two hours earlier.

 

Belova told police officers patrolling the beach that her bag containing her smartphone, hotel room key charging cable, selfie stick, earplugs and power bank were stolen from the beach while she was swimming.

 

Police used Apple’s Find My iPhone service to track it down to the Family Mart but when they arrived neither the phone nor the thief were there.

 

They then used Find My iPhone again and the phone was shown as being on a hill behind Aman Buri Hotel. When police searched the area, they found the woman’s SIM card, pair of glasses and black shoes.

 

The officers returned to the store, checked CCTV footage and saw the man on it. Suddenly, the same man walked in while officers were still there.

Police searched the backpack he was carrying, found the iPhone 8 and other items and took him to the police station for questioning.

 

He admitted that he often preyed on tourists at the beach, waiting for them to go swimming so he could steal their belongings.

 

Preecha said he had taken the woman’s backpack to a look-out spot near the beach, and left it there after removing the iPhone and a few other items.

 

He went to buy something at the Family Mart store before testing the smartphone behind the hotel and when saw police coming so he fled to the beach before walking back to the store.

 

Belova thanked the police for retrieving her stolen items so quickly.

 

Police also found several credit cards and four more phones in Preecha's bag and were later on Monday trying to track down their owners, too.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30340719

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-12

[colinneil]

A Thai man stealing a phone !! I am shocked, i thought it was only farangs that did that.

[RichardColeman]

Daft thief - even dafter tourist !

[Polaky]

I suppose that back in the motherland leaving items on the beach poses no risk, but this ain't the motherland!, good job finding her belongings so quickly.

[webfact]

Beach bag snatcher in surprise arrest at Family Mart

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Preecha Homsup 28, sits with his head bowed at Cherng Talay Police Station while the tourists smile after having their belongings returned. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: A man who stole a Russian woman’s bag from Surin Beach was arrested last night as he walked into a Family Mart store where police were checking CCTV to identify him.

 

Russian tourist Angelina Belova, 28, reported to police at 7pm yesterday (Mar 11) that her bag had been stolen while she was swimming at Surin Beach, explained, Maj Sanhawit Sanitwong of the Cherng Talay Police.

 

Among the items in the bag stolen were an iPhone 8 Plus, a selfie stick, earphones, a power bank and her hotel room key, among other items with a reported total value of more than B70,000.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/beach-bag-snatcher-in-surprise-arrest-at-family-mart-66314.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-03-12

[Oziex1]

Love these photos

 

Couple of coppers standing at attention, one doing some kind of trick with his hand, culprit in a pose of shame and smiling Russians?. I know they can really smile if they have something to smile about.

[swerve]

String this scrote up.

[Lokie]

Well done the BIBs! Should have let Ivan and Boris have a few mins with the dirty no good scrote