Crime Drugged Car Thief Caught After 3-Day, 3-Province Hunt

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod 

 

A 46-year-old man from Chaiyaphum Province has been arrested after stealing a pickup truck in Bangkok and evading police for three days in a crime spree fuelled by drug use.

 

The suspect, Mr. Sutthisak “Nui” Inmanee, was apprehended late on 3 August by Metropolitan Police Division 3 and officers from Min Buri Police Station, in cooperation with police units in Kaset Sombun and Phu Khiao districts, Chaiyaphum.

 

The incident began around 13:00 on 1 August, when Ms. Bussakorn, the 46-year-old owner of a Toyota pickup truck (Bangkok license plate), reported her vehicle stolen from the Tharakorn Market car park on Soi Ramkhamhaeng 166 in Min Buri. She had started the engine to cool the vehicle inside and momentarily left to move another car. When she returned, the truck was gone.

 

CCTV footage revealed a man, described as appearing intoxicated and disoriented, wandering near the vehicle before climbing inside and driving away. Police launched a national alert and coordinated with the highway patrol network to intercept the vehicle.

 

On 3 August, officers received a tip that the stolen pickup had been seen in Moo 13, Ban Yang Subdistrict, Kaset Sombun District, Chaiyaphum. However, the suspect had fled the village earlier that morning, reportedly hallucinating and behaving erratically due to prolonged drug use. Police learned he intended to trade the vehicle for methamphetamine in neighbouring Phu Khiao District.

 

Later that day, the stolen truck was spotted entering a sugarcane field in Nong Rai Kai village, Khok Sa-at Subdistrict. The vehicle veered off the road and became stuck in a ditch. The suspect fled into the cane fields but was eventually arrested while trying to reach a friend’s house. Police said he got lost and fell into an irrigation channel while attempting to escape.

 

During questioning, Mr. Sutthisak admitted to being under the influence of methamphetamine for several consecutive days without sleep, causing paranoia and hallucinations. He confessed to stealing the vehicle after finding it unattended with the engine running. He drove to Chaiyaphum with the intention of exchanging it for drugs.

 

Police said he committed several additional thefts along the way. On the morning of 2 August, he broke into a shop at a PTT petrol station in Dan Khun Thot District, Nakhon Ratchasima, stealing six Bluetooth speakers. On 3 August, he stole a mobile phone from a pharmacy in Phu Kradueng, Loei Province, before fleeing.

 

Mr. Sutthisak has a criminal history dating back to 2015, with six previous charges related to drugs and theft. He is now in custody and faces multiple charges, including vehicle theft and receiving stolen property. The stolen truck has been recovered and will be returned to its owner.

 

Min Buri police are coordinating with Dan Khun Thot and Phu Kradueng police stations to place additional charges against the suspect.

 

Police Major General Kiattikul Sonthana, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 3, urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour related to drug activity. “The drug problem is a major issue across the country,” he said. “The Royal Thai Police are actively conducting a nationwide crackdown under the ‘No Drugs, No Dealers’ campaign.”

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khoasod 2025-08-05