Bangkok Police Arrest International Gang for 3M Baht Gold Heist

[webfact]

Picture courtesy: Siam Rath

 

Bangkok police have apprehended a gang of international thieves responsible for breaking into a local businessman's car and stealing valuables, including gold bars and cash, totalling over 3 million baht.

 

On the evening of 27th November, Bangkok Metropolitan Police officers successfully detained 73-year-old Colombian national, Jose Orlando Ocampo. The arrest took place at a condominium in the On Nut area of Bangkok. Recovered at the scene were cash worth approximately 475,000 baht and gold bars weighing 20 baht, valued at around 880,000 baht.

 

The arrest follows a thorough investigation by the Plubpla Chai 2 police and Bangkok Metropolitan Police Division 6. The crime occurred on 23rd November, when the suspects targeted a hair dye product businessman’s white Lexus parked at the China Town shopping mall. The victim had left gold bars and 983,000 baht cash in the car while attending to business matters.

Upon returning the next day, he discovered the car window smashed and the items missing. CCTV footage revealed two men, believed to be foreign nationals, making off with the stolen goods.

 

Thanks to a focused police operation, Ocampo was identified and located at his rented accommodation in Bangkok. Following a court-sanctioned warrant, he was taken into custody on charges related to theft and property damage.

 

Picture courtesy: Siam Rath

 

During questioning, Ocampo confessed to the theft and revealed that some stolen items had been shared with an accomplice, who has since fled to Cambodia. Police are continuing investigations to retrieve the remaining stolen assets.

 

Ocampo remains in police custody as the investigation continues, with the case moving forward under the jurisdiction of Bangkok’s Plubpla Chai 2 police station, reported Siam Rath.

 

-- 2024-11-28

 

 

[webfact]

73-Year-Old Colombian Caught for Car Break-In, Gold Theft

Picture courtesy: Channel 7 News

 

A 73-year-old Colombian gang leader has been arrested after smashing a businessman's car window and stealing assets worth over 3 million baht, including gold bars and cash. The suspect shared the stolen money with accomplices before fleeing to Cambodia. He was apprehended late last night (27 November 2024) at a condominium in Bangkok’s On Nut area.

 

Pol. Lt. Gen. Sayam Boonsom, acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, led the operation, with officers from Plabplachai 2 Police Station and the Crime Suppression Division.

 

The suspect, identified as Mr. Jose Orlando Ocampo, was arrested with evidence including 475,000 baht in cash and 20-baht gold bars valued at approximately 880,000 baht. The total assets recovered amounted to 1.35 million baht.

 

The incident occurred on the morning of 23 November 2024, when the victim, a businessman selling hair dye products, parked his white Lexus on the B5 floor of Chinatown Mall in Pom Prap Sattru Phai District, Bangkok.

When the victim returned to the car the following morning, he discovered the left rear window smashed. Surveillance footage revealed two men, believed to be foreigners, following the victim to his car before stealing a shoulder bag and a white cloth bag containing cash and gold.

 

The stolen items included 50 baht in gold bars worth 2,207,500 baht, 2 baht in gold jewellery worth 87,500 baht, and cash totalling 983,000 baht, bringing the total loss to 3.28 million baht.

 

Investigations identified the suspects as Colombian nationals who had rented a room in a condominium on Sukhumvit Soi 77 in Suan Luang District. Police obtained an arrest warrant from the Bangkok South Criminal Court (No. 1130/2567, dated 26 November 2024) and detained Mr. Ocampo.

 

The suspect faces charges of "jointly committing theft by damaging protective barriers or disguising their identity." He has been handed over to Plabplachai 2 Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Police continue to investigate and track down Ocampo’s accomplices, reported Channel 7 News

 

-- 2024-11-28

 

 

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[webfact]

Colombian gang arrested in Bangkok for 3.2m baht assets theft
by Puntid Tantivangphaisal 

 

Photo courtesy of KhaoSod

Police from the Metropolitan Investigation Division 6 and the Phlapphla Chai 2 Station apprehended a Colombian gang involved in a high-profile theft case.

 

The gang is accused of breaking into a luxury vehicle and stealing assets worth over 3.2 million baht, including 900,000 baht in cash and 50 baht weight of gold bars. The incident involved a businessperson in the hair dye industry.

 

On the day of the arrest, senior police officials, including Siam Boonsom, acting police commissioner, and Nopasilp Phulsawad, deputy commissioner, directed the joint operation that led to the capture of 73 year old Jose Orlando Ocampo.

 

Officers recovered cash amounting to 475,000 baht and gold bars weighing 20 baht, valued at approximately 880,000 baht. The total assets retrieved amounted to around 1.3 million baht. Ocampo was apprehended in a rented condo on Sukhumvit 77, Suan Luang, Bangkok, following an extensive investigation by the Phlapphla Chai 2 investigation team and the Division 6 investigators.

The theft occurred on November 23 when the victim, who sells hair dye products, parked their white Lexus on level B5 of the Amp Chinatown car park in Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok. After selling 20 baht weight of gold for 883,000 baht at a gold shop on Charoen Krung Road, the victim stored the cash and an additional 50 baht weight of gold in their car. The following day, at around 10.30am, the victim returned to find their car’s left rear window smashed and the valuables missing.

 

Security footage revealed two unidentified men, believed to be foreigners, following the victim and taking a side bag and a white cloth bag from the victim’s car. This prompted a swift police response to track down the perpetrators.

Following tireless investigations, police uncovered that the suspect, a Colombian national, was residing in a rented condo on Sukhumvit 77. Police maintained surveillance around the area at around 3.30pm yesterday, November 27.

 

Ocampo was found hiding in his condo, having not shown himself since the crime was committed. An arrest was made under a warrant issued by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on November 26, charging him with theft involving the destruction of protective barriers and using disguises to avoid detection.

 

Photo courtesy of KhaoSod

Ocampo confessed to the crime, admitting that part of the stolen assets had been given to an accomplice, also a Colombian national, who has since fled to Cambodia.

 

The suspect led officers to recover some of the remaining stolen assets from his condo. He cited financial needs as the motive behind the theft.

The suspect has been handed over to investigators at the Phlapphla Chai 2 Station to face legal proceedings. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to track down his accomplice who has taken refuge in Cambodia, reported KhaoSod.

 

Photo courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-11-28

 

 

[AsiaCheese]

Gang leader?!? Next thing it'll be a successful hit against the white powder cartels...

[cheerz]

Who leaves gold & cash in a parked car, he deserved to loose it. Vacant...

[LALes]

That's a gang leader?  He looks like a somtam vendor.

[Peterphuket]

3 minutes ago, LALes said:

That's a gang leader?  He looks like a somtam vendor.

He used to be, but that did not bring in enough, hence he changed his profession.

[Cereal]

Every time I read something like this I suspect some type of complicit shenanigans. Who leaves that much money/gold/valuables sitting in a car while they "attend to other business"?

[wombat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The victim had left gold bars and 983,000 baht cash in the car while attending to business matters.

Obviously just a days takings.

Those robbers got lucky hey....random robbery that came up Trumps.

[Cabradelmar]

Not everyone is a gangster 😂 sounds more like an opportunist taking advantage of a silly Thai (who keeps 3m baht of valuables in their car).

 

[RichardColeman]

Might be a very good friend to have in a prison cell with you, unless he bats for the other side

[RJRS1301]

26 minutes ago, Cereal said:

Every time I read something like this I suspect some type of complicit shenanigans. Who leaves that much money/gold/valuables sitting in a car while they "attend to other business"?

Returned to the car next day. overnight business meeting really

How did they know the gold was in the car?

 

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

when the suspects targeted a hair dye product businessman’s white Lexus parked at the China Town shopping mall. The victim had left gold bars and 983,000 baht cash in the car while attending to business matters.

Upon returning the next day

What ????

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

the suspects targeted a hair dye product businessman

The victim had left gold bars and 983,000 baht cash in the car while attending to business matters.

Upon returning the next day

The hair dye must have leaked into his brain...

[kiwikeith]

57 minutes ago, Cereal said:

Every time I read something like this I suspect some type of complicit shenanigans. Who leaves that much money/gold/valuables sitting in a car while they "attend to other business"?

Left in the car overnight, now that is either stupid or something is going on here, how this Somtum vendor knew what was in the car, maybe he was set up to rob the car by the other perp who has gotten away, so far, the plot might thicken.

[Dont confuse me]

Colombian gang leader? Poor bar steward looks like an extra out of a Harry Potter film.

 

It sounds like a couple of opportunists who got lucky! To be honest, if anyone in any country leaves that amount of valuables unattended in a vehicle and it gets stolen .....(enough said)

[Jonathan Swift]

2 hours ago, cheerz said:

Who leaves gold & cash in a parked car, he deserved to loose it. Vacant...

Perhaps he should be executed. Would that make you happy? Do you always blame the victim when there's a crime? He's guilty of nothing but carelessness. Have you ever been careless? Have you ever lost something? 

Edited 3 hours ago by Jonathan Swift

[Jonathan Swift]

2 hours ago, Cereal said:

Every time I read something like this I suspect some type of complicit shenanigans. Who leaves that much money/gold/valuables sitting in a car while they "attend to other business"?

Yeah, it does sound strange. But this is Thailand and anything can happen. Also, I've been around long enough to know that as far as human nature nothing would surprise me. This may very well be exactly as presented. But two things strike me. 1.) why does he have gold bars in the first place? What kind of transaction would involve gold bars? 2.) That's a huge amount of money to just leave out of sight. Maybe he's that careless but it seems extremely unlikely. Was it supposed to be a drug transaction and went bad? Smuggling? Money laundering? 

[Jonathan Swift]

1 hour ago, Dont confuse me said:

Colombian gang leader? Poor bar steward looks like an extra out of a Harry Potter film.

 

It sounds like a couple of opportunists who got lucky! To be honest, if anyone in any country leaves that amount of valuables unattended in a vehicle and it gets stolen .....(enough said)

At least he should have had insurance.

[Kenny Boy]

3 hours ago, cheerz said:

Who leaves gold & cash in a parked car, he deserved to loose it. Vacant...

He deserved to loose it ?

I think you meant lose it 🤡

[Iron Tongue]

Who wudda thunk that hair dye salesmen made so much money, and apparently it's an all-cash business!

Now if I hadn't have known that this was a hair dye salesman in Chinatown, I would have made some sort of wild guess that he was probably a Bag Man for Chinese organized crime who moved a lot of illegal proceeds and payoffs around as cash and gold bars for his bosses...- but that would have been crazy talk!

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, Dont confuse me said:

Colombian gang leader? Poor bar steward looks like an extra out of a Harry Potter film.

 

It sounds like a couple of opportunists who got lucky! To be honest, if anyone in any country leaves that amount of valuables unattended in a vehicle and it gets stolen .....(enough said)

He would like to have put the valuables in a bank.....but that's where he got them from.

[sambum]

"The victim had left gold bars and 983,000 baht cash in the car while attending to business matters.

Upon returning the next day, he discovered the car window smashed and the items missing. CCTV footage revealed two men, believed to be foreign nationals, making off with the stolen goods."

 

Some people have more money than sense!

 

 

[Andrew65]

On the same day as I read a report saying "the UK government has confirmed that effective immediately Colombian nationals will need a visa to visit the UK"

Edited 41 minutes ago by Andrew65

[SiSePuede419]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The victim had left gold bars and 983,000 baht cash in the car while attending to business matters.

"Business matters"..?

 

What kind of business requires you to leave gold bars in your car?

 

And the thief doesn't look a day over 93.

 

Huffing that coca paste mixed with gasoline might age you quickly.

[sambum]

3 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Perhaps he should be executed. Would that make you happy? Do you always blame the victim when there's a crime? He's guilty of nothing but carelessness. Have you ever been careless? Have you ever lost something? 

 

"Have you ever lost something?"

 

Yes, but not gold bars and cash  totalling 3 million baht! 

[Andrew65]

3 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

"Have you ever lost something?"

 

Yes, but not gold bars and cash  totalling 3 million baht! 

Lost!? Never been stupid enough to leave it in the car either!😕