Bank Heist: Colombian Gang Arrested In Krabi

[webfact]

Bank heist: Colombian gang arrested in Krabi

CCTV images of suspects taken at the scene of the crime in Bangkok on Friday.

PHUKET: -- Three foreign suspects were arrested in Krabi yesterday for the theft of 12 million baht from a vehicle in the headquarters parking lot of one of Thailand’s largest commercial banks, the state-run media has reported.

The suspects – one American and two Colombians – allegedly smashed a car window in a pick-up truck and lifted the cash in a daring heist in front of the Krung Thai Bank headquarters in the Nana area of Bangkok on Friday.

Central Investigation Bureau Deputy Commissioner Maj Gen Panya Mamen said that tourist police and the investigation team tracked the gang from their mobile phones and received information that they had checked in at a Bangkok hotel after removing the cash from the pick-up truck.

They travelled to Trang before moving on to hide in a hotel in Krabi.

The American registered the hotel room to prevent police tracking the apparently higher-profile Colombians, but the investigation team located them anyway.

One Colombian was captured on closed-circuit television images.

Police initially recovered only 200,000 baht cash. They believed that more than 11 million baht was taken away by another suspect who rented a Toyota VIOS sedan with a Phatthalung license plate and who may have escaped from the country.

The trio denied the charges and police planned to take them to Bangkok for further questioning at the Immigration Bureau headquarters.

Wirat Panyapluattichote, a 44-year-old employee of Thaimart Store, parked his pick-up truck outside the bank on June 4, while he took 5 million baht in cash into the bank to deposit.

When he returned to his truck, he found one of the vehicle’s windows had been smashed and a bag containing 12 million baht of Thaimart funds left inside the car had been stolen.

Mr Wirat earlier received the money from an exchange currency trader, Super Rich, on Ratchadamri Road, before going to the bank.

The Toyata sedan used by the robbers is owned by Phuket resident Wichien Chooshoop. Mr Wichien said that the suspects rented his car since May 4, and denied involvement in the crime.

Police said the Colombian gang counterfeited passports to enter Thailand before committing crimes that included stealing items from jewellery shops, breaking into safe boxes in homes of the wealthy and robbing from vehicles by smashing windows.

Despite the fact that some of the gang were in Phuket in May, there have thus far been no reports that any of the crimes were committed here.

Source:

-- Tan Network 2010-06-10

published by:

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-06-10

[imaneggspurt]

Stealing money off Thais !, look out ,.you are in for a rough ride boys,.

[jfchandler]

Who in their right mind keeps 12 million baht sitting unattended in a parked car/truck sitting around the Nana area?

And are we supposed to think this Columbian gang just happened to get lucky and steal a bag from inside a locked pickup truck that just happened to contain 12 million baht???

The whole thing seems more than a bit strange...

Wirat Panyapluattichote, a 44-year-old employee of Thaimart Store, parked his pick-up truck outside the bank on June 4, while he took 5 million baht in cash into the bank to deposit.

When he returned to his truck, he found one of the vehicle’s windows had been smashed and a bag containing 12 million baht of Thaimart funds left inside the car had been stolen.

Mr Wirat earlier received the money from an exchange currency trader, Super Rich, on Ratchadamri Road, before going to the bank.

[JackSterling]

WOW!! It sounds like a bank heist I once watch happen in San Fernando Valley back in 2002.. These guys were during and well armed as well.. Looks like Thailand is growing once again.. Think this is a new wave of attacks coming soon?? Sticking to the rice paddies this year.. gotta go feed the dogs..

[yang123]

Deputy Commissioner Maj Gen Panya Mamen said that tourist police and the investigation team tracked the gang from their mobile phones

I see - the gang left their phone numbers in the cab of the van they robbed?????

[MegaMik]

Who in their right mind keeps 12 million baht sitting unattended in a parked car/truck sitting around the Nana area?

And are we supposed to think this Columbian gang just happened to get lucky and steal a bag from inside a locked pickup truck that just happened to contain 12 million baht???

The whole thing seems more than a bit strange...

Agree with you, a fishy story, a smelly one.

And furthermore, they don't seem to be very clever. Not 100%.com

The Toyata sedan used by the robbers is owned by Phuket resident Wichien Chooshoop. Mr Wichien said that the suspects rented his car since May 4, and denied involvement in the crime.

For 12 million, wouldn't you steal a car somewhere else and use it for the heist? That's what they normally do in farrang country.

[Grower]

It's just amazing how quickly the police catch some criminals.

[BKjohn]

sounds very dodgy to me - to start, who leaves 12 Million cash in a pick up ? why carry 12 Million cash in the first place ? how did the old bill track their phone numbers if they were not known to them ? one chap has left the country with most of the cash ?

sure

new Mercedes parked in some police office car park soon

[asiawatcher]

Do the crime do the time.

Can't believe anyone is so stupid these days to not think they are under CCTV surveillance especially at a bank and they made no attempt to hide their identity - they could have used balaclavas but then the criminal mind can't think of everything (anything!!!).

I love the note the guy was depositing 5M but left 12M in the car. Why?????

[EarthAlien]

Who in their right mind keeps 12 million baht sitting unattended in a parked car/truck sitting around the Nana area?

And are we supposed to think this Columbian gang just happened to get lucky and steal a bag from inside a locked pickup truck that just happened to contain 12 million baht???

The whole thing seems more than a bit strange...

Agree with you, a fishy story, a smelly one.

And furthermore, they don't seem to be very clever. Not 100%.com

The Toyata sedan used by the robbers is owned by Phuket resident Wichien Chooshoop. Mr Wichien said that the suspects rented his car since May 4, and denied involvement in the crime.

For 12 million, wouldn't you steal a car somewhere else and use it for the heist? That's what they normally do in farrang country.

Sounds like an inside money laundering job to me. Blame Columbians (set up?) and someone(s) laughing all the way to the bank. Red shirts all locked up so got to blame "Farangs" now! What next?

[Jimi007]

It's just amazing how quickly the police catch some criminals.

LOL! I quite agree with that!

[MartinBKK]

Sounds like something out of a hollywood movie - don't believe a word of it tbh.

[ryladie99]

Wow?? it happened 6 months ago in my town, and I was about to go to my bank but, I saw 5 police cars park around the bank I changed my mind. Later on I found out 2 men came in and the bank teller gave them a bag of money bomb. The two thefts got away and Money bomb blown up in the car and the thefts got nothing. The next day we had a no nonsense security guard in front of the bank. He guarded the bank all day long with a real gun...no more drama after that....I love it.....

[needforspeed]

Deputy Commissioner Maj Gen Panya Mamen said that tourist police and the investigation team tracked the gang from their mobile phones

I see - the gang left their phone numbers in the cab of the van they robbed?????

It is done for years, they can find out from a specific area all the calls been made, just track/trace them.

Has something to do with the distance from mobile phone signal to the two closes reciever, they can track this very precisely on a few meters.

[Dukeleto]

Who in their right mind keeps 12 million baht sitting unattended in a parked car/truck sitting around the Nana area?

And are we supposed to think this Columbian gang just happened to get lucky and steal a bag from inside a locked pickup truck that just happened to contain 12 million baht???

The whole thing seems more than a bit strange...

Agree with you, a fishy story, a smelly one.

And furthermore, they don't seem to be very clever. Not 100%.com

The Toyata sedan used by the robbers is owned by Phuket resident Wichien Chooshoop. Mr Wichien said that the suspects rented his car since May 4, and denied involvement in the crime.

For 12 million, wouldn't you steal a car somewhere else and use it for the heist? That's what they normally do in farrang country.

Yeah! How do you rent a vehicle without leaving a passport behind as collateral. Try doing it without one on phuket. You can even hire a moped without leaving your passport with the owner!!!!

[LJW]

Interesting that the American wasn't part of the headline, and a 'columbian gang' 2 guys?

[Dukeleto]

It's just amazing how quickly the police catch some criminals.

LOL! I quite agree with that!

Sounds like a quadruple cross and they were set up by all involved...bet the cash did not leave the country but has already been divided...very fishy story this!

[garrfeild]

OK so pressing the Expat banking button at the top of this page, reloads this story of the bank robbery. Is this what is meant by expat banking, how to rob a bank for expats??? hehehehehehe

[anon467367354]

I would keep an eye on this Wirat Panyapluattichote guy, I wonder what his assets are today and if they recently changed. This story doesn't make much sense.

One guy gets away, "leaves the country" and all they have is 200,000 baht?

[Lammbock]

The whole story smells fishy!

[Sabre]

Suparich is the 'underground' currency trader that offers better exchange rates than the banks. If you have a large amount of cash they will arrange for someone to go meet you. Normally that 'someone' is just an ordinary guy on a motorbike, however he can be carrying millions of Baht at any one time.

Suparich has very few guards, and are almost never robbed. I understand they have an arrangement with the police and most Thais are not stupid enough to try anything.

Sounds like the gang probably observed this guy for a couple of days, and then followed him from suparich.

[Miami Bob]

First thing that popped into my mind is how much did it cost to get the police to make the effort to find these guys.

[valerian]

If you rent a car in Phuket you're leaving behind a trail of information.

Your passport, phonenumber and your signature.

If these guys really were dumb enough to go rent a car to use for this purpose, in a city

full of CCTV cameras - then sure.. no match for the police to track and catch.

But it seems a bit overly dumb to me.

It seems more probable that they were exchanging funds at Super Rich when they saw someone

carry out big bags of money into his car, and decided to follow him on the spot.

And then decided to nick a bag when they saw the opportunity.

[007]

Who in their right mind keeps 12 million baht sitting unattended in a parked car/truck sitting around the Nana area?

And are we supposed to think this Columbian gang just happened to get lucky and steal a bag from inside a locked pickup truck that just happened to contain 12 million baht???

The whole thing seems more than a bit strange...

An insider job, here in Thailand?? No way!

[ESB7]

Stealing money off Thais !, look out ,.you are in for a rough ride boys,.

You oBViously haVe neVer een to ColumBia or South America in general....its like a Sunday School here for them;)

[007]

Who in their right mind keeps 12 million baht sitting unattended in a parked car/truck sitting around the Nana area?

And are we supposed to think this Columbian gang just happened to get lucky and steal a bag from inside a locked pickup truck that just happened to contain 12 million baht???

The whole thing seems more than a bit strange...

An insider job, here in Thailand?? No way!

[angiud]

Thai Police doing its duty.

Fishy...

[TAWP]

Only thing that is fishy is the posters that don't understand that not every heist is a Hollywood script and that a lot of criminals are very dumb. Usually the ones getting caught...

[Nigel1500]

Deputy Commissioner Maj Gen Panya Mamen said that tourist police and the investigation team tracked the gang from their mobile phones

I see - the gang left their phone numbers in the cab of the van they robbed?????

It is done for years, they can find out from a specific area all the calls been made, just track/trace them.

Has something to do with the distance from mobile phone signal to the two closes reciever, they can track this very precisely on a few meters.

... or they can trace the plates of the car to the owner (as they did) and he probably has a contact number.

[Nigel1500]

It's just amazing how quickly the police catch some criminals.

LOL! I quite agree with that!

Sounds like a quadruple cross and they were set up by all involved...bet the cash did not leave the country but has already been divided...very fishy story this!

Makes me laugh ... reminds me of the movie comedy "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"!!!