Wannabie Gunslingers

[Master Chief]

Police release sketches of gold shop bandits

An artist’s impression of the robber (left) and his getaway driver as described by Phuket City Traffic Police officers who saw them fleeing by motorbike.

WICHIT: Police are still searching for two men who robbed a gold shop on Chao Fa East Rd Wednesday morning, escaping with jewelry valued at more than a million baht.

Phuket City Police Duty Officer Lt Theeradet Jiraksa told the Gazette that the robbery took place about 11 am at Srithong Gold Shop, located by Moom Muang Market, near the entrance to Phuket Villa 3, on Chao Fa East Rd.

Armed with what appeared to be a short-barrel shotgun, a long-haired man entered the shop while his accomplice waited outside on a motorbike, its engine still running.

The bandit ordered the lone employee to lie on the floor, then walked around the counter to the display case, where he smashed the glass with the butt of the gun and removed gold jewelry.

He quickly placed the loot in a back bag then fled the scene riding pillion on the motorbike, Lt Theeradet said.

As the pair were making their getaway, 27-year-old shopkeeper Petchthamrong Longthong, a relative of the owner, fired two shots at the fleeing thieves. However, both shots missed and hit parked cars.

At a press conference at Phuket City Police Station on Thursday, Police Region 8 Deputy Commissioner Pol Maj Gen Tavat Boonfueng said the two suspects were still at-large, but that police had a good description of the men.

Although both were wearing full-face motorcycle helmets, their images were recorded by the shops CCTV camera, he said.

Also, immediately after the heist the shopkeeper dialed 191 and Traffic Police officers nearby were alerted. Although they were unable to catch the pair, the officers were able to provide enough information for composite sketches to be drawn, which Maj Gen Tavat described as “about 70% accurate”.

Physical evidence in the case includes fingerprints dusted from one of the robber’s motorcycle helmets, found lying by the side of Soi Ta-iad in Wichit, he said.

Following a sharp increase in gold shop robberies nationwide in 2007, Phuket Police last May requested all gold shops to boost security and limit trading hours to help police better patrol the shops.

The last major gold shop heist in Phuket was in January, 2007, when a lone armed robber made off with jewelry worth about 1.2 million baht from Thongroj gold shop, also on Chao Fa East Rd in Wichit.

There are about 70 gold shops in Phuket, most are in Phuket City and Patong

Phuket Gazette.

Do we really need to have shop owners or employees firing with firearms at robbers???

This guy in the story above missed the robbers and hit parked cars!

He had ran out in the street and started to bullit spray the area outside the goldshop, and this is also supported by the local police force, as they are promoting goldshops with fire arms lessons in how to aim and shot practices.

CCTV, security and police patrols YES!

Guns for shop owners NO NO NO!

[zzdocxx]

Are there supposed to be pictures somewhere?

[Ping]

Thanks for the trouble of posting this item. Would you mind telling us the reference so that we can go to the original story and pictures?

[maluko]

Gold shops have always been easy targets in here !

[Master Chief]

http://www.phuketgazette.com/news/index.asp?id=6215

Here is the link.

[seppl04]

1 gold shop robbery a year in Phuket.

Seems to be safe business.

Wondering why there aren't more, seeing their security, which is only a camera !

[Somtamnication]

Where did you get the idea that there is one gold shop robbery a year? There are several per month and a lot of them are not reported.

[maluko]

Where did you get the idea that there is one gold shop robbery a year? There are several per month and a lot of them are not reported.

i even heard about a robbery attended with murder in Nong Khai a few month ago...