Bang Bua Thong heist: Thai police wrap up armed gold shop robbery within four hours

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Thai police north of Bangkok managed to wrap up an afternoon armed gold shop robbery in Bang Bua Thong by dinner time. 

 

At around 3pm a man armed with a gun had walked into the Yaowarat M Gold shop in a soi in Bang Rak Pattana sub-district where two female sales staff were working. 

 

After he produced a gun and laid it on the counter they fled to the back of the shop in terror. 

 

CCTV caught clear images of the man who was wearing a surgical face mask. He gathered  around 50 baht weight (about 1.1 million baht's worth) of gold jewelry and stuffed it in a bag.

 

The automatic door had closed and he fired three shots to make good his escape by smashing the window. 

 

A security guard at a nearby SCB branch said that the robber pointed the gun at him causing him to flee inside his bank and fasten the door. It was only later he understood there had been a robbery at the gold shop. 

 

The robber fled in a Honda Civic in the direction of Kanchanaphisek Road. 

 

A large number of Bang Bua Thong police were soon on the scene and would not allow the press to talk to the sales staff. 

 

At 6.30 pm Apichet K., aged 33, was arrested in the car on his way to Suphanburi. He was described as rambling and drunk. He was on his way to meet a friend.

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

He admitted going to a house in Bang Yai and dumping the gold and the weapon following the robbery. 

 

Investigators soon found the clothing used in the robbery, a bloodstained cloth, a Glock 26 and ammunition, and 55.3 baht in gold jewelry. It was in his wife's townhouse. 

 

Pol Lt-Gen Amphon Buarapporn praised the officers involved in the hunt for the resolution of the case within four hours. He also said that the public had been helpful to the police.

 

Apichet was convicted of robbery in Bang Sao Thong in 2002 and completed four years in jail. 

 

He had come out and set up in business as a contractor leveling plots for house construction. He said that debts from his business, and repayments on the car and his house made him turn back to crime. 

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-28

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was arrested in the car on his way to Suphanburi. He was described as rambling and drunk.

 

Looking at the photo he cant even stand up.

Gold shops seem to becoming a popular target as the economy continues to slide, if the coronavirus takes hold in Thailand and tourism takes a larger hit than it is now expect a lot more theft attempts as pockets become empty and bills mount up!