Bank Heist: Colombian Gang Arrested In Krabi

[bravehartbear]

Those Colombians would steal candy from a baby!!!

Dangerous people!!!

[notime]

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.

That's true needforspeed but first the Police would have to know the robbers phone numbers or PUKs. I doubt someone breaking into the car leaves their phone or the phone number behind. Unless of course there is a survalaince in place that enables Police to listen to ALL phone conversations in Thailand and they nailed the robbers talking about the robbery which I doubt even more.

I think they just arrested some people who may have not had anything to do with that theft. Where is the proof anyway? 200,000 THB is not 12 million and it's not illegal to have for a good holiday is it? Or even if they were drug dealers or something like that it doesn't mean they jumped that car. If I was Police I would be very interested to check out the money changer, Mr. Rich who had inside knowledge of the identity of the victim and maybe even his whereabouts after that transaction. He probably also had time to organise helpers to follow him as exchanging 12 million must have been pre-arranged.

[BigWheelMan]

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Just book your ticket now at a travel agent near you and fly in.

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WELCOME TO THAILAND

NOTICE

None of the easy terms mentioned above applies to the law abiding expats who are here on non Immigrant visas.

Edited June 10, 2010 by BigWheelMan

[mazeltov]

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...

55555

have to agree here with TAWP.

[clausewitz]

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

I was in a bank the other day and a woman walked up to theteller handed over about 3 to 4 million baht in cash . Not uncommon for people in thailand to carry large sums as many businesses run on cash basis.

[Robby nz]

Saw something on Thai TV this morning about farang arrests in Krabi and there were more than 3 of them, looked to be about a dozen including one of the tender gender.

Had a table in front laid out with all sort of goodies.

The same lot or different?

[souvenirdeparis]

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.

you really know your BKK and that's a very exciting addenda to the story

[jupiler]

How in heavens name, would Colombian men who only speaks Spanish, get the information that theyr is 12.000.000 baht somewhere in a car at a parking lot in Thailand?

And why would they stay in the country and not flee to Malaysia,Cambodia etc?

Everyone knows these days that theyr are security cameras at every ATM, bank, hotel....etc!

Maybe the 12.000.000 baht whas not from a curreny exchange trader, but drug related money.

Wow, maybe whe now have not only the Russia maffia, but also the colombian kartels in the Kingdom!

Colombia = drugs

[starman_tom]

Fishy indeed. When the story broke a few days ago, BKK post was quoting some cop saying; "We believe a Colombian gang to be behind this." Now how the heck did they know that????

[Xeralf]

I think news first said these were Spanish. Well, not all English speakers are English not all Spanish speakers are Spanish. It is good news for you English teachers that Thai teachers might not do well in English. Who said they were Spanish? What about a geography test for journalists? Well, actually, thinking about it. in Spain all Asian are Chinese migrants or Japanese tourists. Well Spain is going to win the World Cup anyway…555

For Colombian gangs Thailand is a joke but I guess it might be relatively easy to track them …hopefully

[eljeque]

ThaiMart

17,000,000 that is a good take for a day or two

5,000,000 deposit only 5M

12,000,000 leave this in the car. no need to deposit it this time

SuperRich Money Exchanger:

Why is he exchanging a mountain of foreign currency for Thai baht, if he works at a Thaimart store?

[animatic]

As smelly a deal as yesterdays fishwrap.

Inside job, is hinted at, even considering these currency converters

obvious 'connected' status, still the Columbians were't too birght,

or are possibly patsies; if some money isn't found and their

acomplice desciptions match no one known...

[hobanse]

:ermm:The Banks robb the people, the people robb the banks.

[sirchai]

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

What a strange story. Who’d leave 12 million baht unattended? All banks do have a security service, at least with a loaded gun.

Another weird thing: How could the cops track their mobile phones?

And who told them about such an amount of money in a Pick Up?? Can’t you smell that smell??

[yezdi]

american now coming to rob...bad thing

[Boof]

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.

but don't you need to actually know the phone numbers of the people you are looking for first?? Yeah I think the tracking is called triangulation or something like that..

[Thai at Heart]

ThaiMart

17,000,000 that is a good take for a day or two

5,000,000 deposit only 5M

12,000,000 leave this in the car. no need to deposit it this time

SuperRich Money Exchanger:

Why is he exchanging a mountain of foreign currency for Thai baht, if he works at a Thaimart store?

It would be interesting to know who has such enormous need for Forex, outside the main high street banks. I wonder if the dastardly Colombians know who is behind the exchange business, that this story might very rapidly disappear.

What type of high street business in Thailand generates 20mn baht equivalent of hard foreign cash foreign earnings? Certainly not Thaimart......

Blackjack anyone?

[cougar52]

WOW , WHAT IS SOMEONE DOING DRIVING AROUND IN BANGKOK , NANA AREA WITH 17 MILLION BAHT , AND WHY DID HE ONLY TAKE 5 MILLION INTO THE BANK TO DEPOSIT , WHY NOT DEPOSIT IT ALL WHILE HE IS THERE , SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WAS SET UP HERE , BUT WHILE THEY CAN THROUGH THE BLAME ON ANOTHER FARANG THEY WILL

That it is not even being talked or reporting is the fact that there was 25 million, 5 was being deposited and 12 million was taken, WHAT EVER HAPPENED WITH THE OTHER EIGHT (8) MILLION???? There is so much wrong with this heist and it's truth.

Edited June 10, 2010 by cougar52

[shiatsuman]

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!

So nice to see that that the regular Thai comedy show "If you believe this you will believe anything " is back

[BlackJack]

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!

So nice to see that that the regular Thai comedy show "If you believe this you will believe anything " is back

Which one is worse

a Thai prison or

a Colombian prison

[shiatsuman]

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!

So nice to see that that the regular Thai comedy show "If you believe this you will believe anything " is back

Which one is worse

a Thai prison or

a Colombian prison

Somebody has to get slapped on the head in comedy show

Thai or Colombian prison ?

let the audience decide

[Colabamumbai]

Would they be friends of the dozen others arrested I think In Pattaya yesterday?

[Colabamumbai]

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!

So nice to see that that the regular Thai comedy show "If you believe this you will believe anything " is back

Which one is worse

a Thai prison or

a Colombian prison

They left another bag with 8 million in the truck.

[SlumdogMillionaire]

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!!!!

[Lumumba]

I heard someone say earlier that Super Rich has few guards.

You will rob Thai central bank easier than you would get away with their B3000. Well If you are superman that can fly as well. You can only exit into chitlom from a road that is always clogged up, or get back on petchburi rd , having to avoid the long buses to to make a right turn, rurn left you will sit infront of Big C Rajdamri for at least 5 minutes.

There is another way out by going over the klong with high angled bridge only to come on petchburi and then must head to Panthip, which is near impossible if you happen to be in a hurry.

And At Super rich they have people directing parking cars and others sitting around and all these exists have motorcycle taxis , all are armed staff.

several motocycles are parked outside the house too.

You can come in there and convert the entire Laotian foreign reserves in to Thai baht , no questions asked. But if you show up carrying serially numbered USD notes , more than hundred pieces, they will have to copy your passport.

And for the guys that would come to change your money for you at your house or hotel, They must have known you for years or someone vouched for you, and he is never alone, Did I mention he is always armed if he had more than a 100 G on him.

My guess is the thieves knew its a good place to stake out to see who will leave with a horrible sum and tag him. All the transaction is done in full public glare.

The company is dodgy letting only one staff go do the transaction.

I also wonder why a local company would convert money into local cash, except if super rich is advancing them the money for a fee.

My only prayer in this case is the hope they nabbed the thieves and not some unlucky guys.

[Colabamumbai]

I heard someone say earlier that Super Rich has few guards.

You will rob Thai central bank easier than you would get away with their B3000. Well If you are superman that can fly as well. You can only exit into chitlom from a road that is always clogged up, or get back on petchburi rd , having to avoid the long buses to to make a right turn, rurn left you will sit infront of Big C Rajdamri for at least 5 minutes.

There is another way out by going over the klong with high angled bridge only to come on petchburi and then must head to Panthip, which is near impossible if you happen to be in a hurry.

And At Super rich they have people directing parking cars and others sitting around and all these exists have motorcycle taxis , all are armed staff.

several motocycles are parked outside the house too.

You can come in there and convert the entire Laotian foreign reserves in to Thai baht , no questions asked. But if you show up carrying serially numbered USD notes , more than hundred pieces, they will have to copy your passport.

And for the guys that would come to change your money for you at your house or hotel, They must have known you for years or someone vouched for you, and he is never alone, Did I mention he is always armed if he had more than a 100 G on him.

My guess is the thieves knew its a good place to stake out to see who will leave with a horrible sum and tag him. All the transaction is done in full public glare.

The company is dodgy letting only one staff go do the transaction.

I also wonder why a local company would convert money into local cash, except if super rich is advancing them the money for a fee.

My only prayer in this case is the hope they nabbed the thieves and not some unlucky guys.

Sound like you've scouted the place out before.

[TPI]

I heard someone say earlier that Super Rich has few guards.

You will rob Thai central bank easier than you would get away with their B3000. Well If you are superman that can fly as well. You can only exit into chitlom from a road that is always clogged up, or get back on petchburi rd , having to avoid the long buses to to make a right turn, rurn left you will sit infront of Big C Rajdamri for at least 5 minutes.

There is another way out by going over the klong with high angled bridge only to come on petchburi and then must head to Panthip, which is near impossible if you happen to be in a hurry.

And At Super rich they have people directing parking cars and others sitting around and all these exists have motorcycle taxis , all are armed staff.

several motocycles are parked outside the house too.

You can come in there and convert the entire Laotian foreign reserves in to Thai baht , no questions asked. But if you show up carrying serially numbered USD notes , more than hundred pieces, they will have to copy your passport.

And for the guys that would come to change your money for you at your house or hotel, They must have known you for years or someone vouched for you, and he is never alone, Did I mention he is always armed if he had more than a 100 G on him.

My guess is the thieves knew its a good place to stake out to see who will leave with a horrible sum and tag him. All the transaction is done in full public glare.

The company is dodgy letting only one staff go do the transaction.

I also wonder why a local company would convert money into local cash, except if super rich is advancing them the money for a fee.

My only prayer in this case is the hope they nabbed the thieves and not some unlucky guys.

Wow! I'm impressed, damned if I've ever heard of "super rich"....perhaps I've never had the entire treasury of the PDR to change into Baht. Lumumba seems to have gone the whole route, I'm very jealous!

[khaowong1]

what the hey? how did a 44 year old employee end up with 17 million baht in his car? and how did the "alleged" robbers know that this money was in this car, and of course, the police only recovered 200,000 baht, but of course the rest was taken away by even yet another of the gang, yes? hmmmmm

[BigWheelMan]

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!

So nice to see that that the regular Thai comedy show "If you believe this you will believe anything " is back

Which one is worse

a Thai prison or

a Colombian prison

Have you ever seem the film, Gladiators?

Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

[George4]

what the hey? how did a 44 year old employee end up with 17 million baht in his car? and how did the "alleged" robbers know that this money was in this car, and of course, the police only recovered 200,000 baht, but of course the rest was taken away by even yet another of the gang, yes? hmmmmm

Now lets see.............could it be he does the banking for Thaimart? :0) 12 m 260K sterling isn't exactly a fortune when it comes to a big company selling electrical goods now is it?

Who do Thaimart bank with? or should I ask how many accounts do they have and with which banks? damned if I know but I bet you anything you klike the Columbians did.

Some companies hire security companies to do their banking others uses trusted mebers of staff which attracts little attention.

I doubt if the cops grabbed the money that's just BS...unless of course you think the Thai Police are as stupid and some Farang are...like the Columbians in custody must know if the money isn't recovered their sentence is likely to be longer.

They'd be squealing like pigs if the cops had snaffled the money and if they were going to take the headlines would have been somewhat different......perhaps CLMBNS die in shootout like they do in the movies.

This stinks of someone from within the organisation tipping off these people of who did the banking and which banks......then all they had to do was wait at the first bank as he's not going to carry 12m if it was to be banked elsewhere into and out of a bank......ok so they only get some of the cash he's carrying but there's no violence and more time to get off their mark.