Policeman Injured When Chasing Armed Robbers In Pattaya

[george]

Policeman injured when chasing armed robbers in Pattaya

PATTAYA, Chonburi: -- Four men armed with assaulted rifles robbed a gold shop in this seaside town Monday morning and fled with about 4.5 kgs of gold ornaments.

The robbery took place at 9:30 am. The gold shop is just about 500 metres away from Dongtan police station.

Pol Sgt Maj Sayam Phongam was shot and injured while chasing after the car of the robbers.

-- The Nation 2009-05-04

[george]

Three armed with war weapons rob a gold shop in Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- Three men armed with rifles robbed a gold shop in Pattaya on Monday. They threw grenades as they tried to escape, seriously injuring a police sergeant and four people.

Police was alerted at about 9.20am about the robbery at Yaowarat Gold Shop on Chomthien road, which is about 100 metres from the police station.

Yuranun Horburapa, 24, son of the shop's owner told police that the robbers, wearing hoods, sprayed rounds of bullets onto the shop before using the rifles to break the glass cabinets of the gold ornaments in the shop.

Initial police investigation showed that after that, they ran to a waiting pickup which ran away. However they fired and lobbed a grenade onto a police who chased them on a motorcycle. The explosion seriously injured Sgt Siam Pohngam, 38 and four others people standing nearby.

Yuranun told police that the robbers escaped with 300 bahts of gold, which were valued at Bt450,000.

-- The Nation 2009-05-04

[JUDAS]

When I read the title I must admit I thought it might be somewhat exaggerated but, assault weapons and grenades!! Hope those injured make a speedy recovery.

[Tywais]

Yuranun told police that the robbers escaped with 300 bahts of gold, which were valued at Bt450,000.

Missing a zero there. 16,000/1 baht x 300 = 4,800,000 Baht.

[Chang_paarp]

Yuranun told police that the robbers escaped with 300 bahts of gold, which were valued at Bt450,000.

Missing a zero there. 16,000/1 baht x 300 = 4,800,000 Baht.

Might have been 30 Baht, insured for 300.

[fredKroket]

When I read the title I must admit I thought it might be somewhat exaggerated but, assault weapons and grenades!! Hope those injured make a speedy recovery.

Saw the scene from the store's CCTV camera on Thai news last night, definitely M16's used and what looked like a stun grenade thrown in the shop. Heavy duty equipment and they way they moved was quite well rehersed, my initial thought was they were military.

[sotsira]

HEAVILY ARMED ROBBERS RAID JOMTIEN GOLD SHOP!

In the morning of the 4th May 2009 a dramatic and violent robbery occurred in Jomtien when 4 men armed with assault weapons and grenades raided a gold shop located 300 meters from the Jomtien Police station. The thieves escaped with 300 baht weight in gold, with a value of nearly 5 million baht.

4 men with covered faces had parked their gold Toyota Vios outside the Jomtien branch of “Yaoratch”, located at 406/339 Moo. 12 , Jomtien Beach road. At 9:30 am, as the owner, Mr. Umnouy Horburapa, was opening the shop, 3 of the heavily armed men entered the shop and fired 5 shots into the glass cabinets. They grabbed a large number of gold chains and ran out of the shop firing more shots into the air, and sped away towards the Theprasit Road.

Police were soon in pursuit and followed the robbers as they turned along the Sukhumvit Road and headed towards Chaiyaphruk 2 Road. During the chase the driver of a police car, Sergeant Major Siam Poh-ngahm [38], was shot in the leg. He was taken to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. Witnesses to the robbery were also injured when the thieves threw what was believed to be a grenade as they made their escape. 4 people were taken to Banglamung Hospital.

Eventually more than 100 police officers from Pattaya, Banglamung and Sriracha were involved in the hunt for the robbers utilising cars, a helicopter and microlights. The getaway car was finally found (no. 4889 Chonburi) parked in front of a house in Soi Saisukon Moo. 5 Kaomaikaew , Banglamung, belonging to Mr. Prasert Prempree’s (50).

Mr. Prasert said while he was sitting in his house he saw three men drive up in the Toyota Vios and park in front of his house. They then got out and ran to a bronze Toyota Vigo which had a driver waiting for them. The truck then sped off towards highway no. 331.

Also, another vehicle believed to be involved in the crime, a black Ford pickup (no. 8981, Rayong), was found parked in front of a house belonging to Mr. Mungkorn Klindee’s [54], at no. 154 Moo. 5 Kao Maikaew, Moo. 5. When police arrived they discovered Mr. Mungkorn’s son, Mr. Kasem Klindee, walking out from the bushes acting suspiciously. Police arrested him as a suspect but he denied any involvement in the crime.

The owner of the gold shop later told police that he had received a phone call 2 days ago asking if there had been a robbery at his shop. Police presumed that the robbers wanted to check if there were any police or security operating there.

Although the gang only arrived in one car police believe that the raid was also supported by two pickup trucks. The robbers seemed to be experts in the use of heavy weapons and from the CCTV footage it appears the raid was well planned.

Police said there were at least 5 suspects involved with this case and that Mr. Kasem Klindee would be questioned further and the search for the rest of the gang would continue. High ranking police from Region 2 are following the developments closely.

sorn

[Meg_2003]

I think this should be in the Pattaya News Clippings forum..

[BigSnake]

Yes some very very bad boys here, kinda in your face to the Police, just a 300 meters or so from a Police Station. DARN!!

[Meg_2003]

I wonder how much gold was actually stolen... Looks like quite a few empty trays there!

Shame on them. Fingers crossed that they get caught!

[joskydive]

This story is already running on Pattaya News Clippings.

[wasabi]

Is that a white boy grabbin that loot?

[Lancelot]

So is this just one of those rare crimes or a growing trend?

[soundman]

Topics merged.

[Basil B]

They seem well armed.

Hand grenades

Were they wearing combat fatigues or red shirts???

[sbk]

Three arrested, two more sought over gold-shop heist

By Thanasap Noisaard

Kamphi Arbsuwan

The Nation

Published on May 6, 2009

Police have already arrested three men for their alleged roles in a shocking goldshop robbery.

-- The Nation 2009/05/06

Armed with war weapons, three men stormed into a gold shop in Chon Buri's Pattaya City and made off with Bt4.5million worth of gold on Monday. During their getฌaway, the armed men also hurt a police serฌgeant and four nearby children.

"We are in the process of seeking arrest warrants for two more suspects," Provincial Police Region 2 deputy commissioner Maj General Pramoj Pathumwong said yesterฌday.

He refused to identify them by name.

Already in police detention were Surachat Yodthong, Kamon Saengperm and Kasem Klindee.

Pramoj said Kasem's relatives provided crucial information in this case.

"They know Kasem had plotted the robฌbery with his accomplices," Pramoj said.

All of the detained suspects have now pleaded guilty.

Police nabbed Kasem, 34, at his home on Monday. Surachat surrendered to police in Bangkok while Kamon was nabbed in Nakhon Nayok yesterday.

Based on the suspects' confession, police have already retrieved a sizeable amount of the stolen gold.

"We have also found guns and a lot of ammunition," Pramoj said.

The suspects have been charged with armed robbery, illegally owning war weapons, carrying war weapons without a license, obstructing police operation and attempt to kill a policeman. An informed source said of the two other suspects still on the run was a man called Sorn.

"He used to drive an unlicensed taxi in Pattaya," it said.