Indonesians nabbed with B2mn stolen from Phuket policeman

Phuket Gazette

Indonesian nationals (from right) Aldi Pratama, Yusuf Anwar and Tedi Usman Bin Husin were charged with stealing 2 million baht from a Phuket policeman. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanvrangkul did not explain what the 2 million baht in cash was for. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Four Indonesian men were arrested in Haad Yai, southern Thailand, yesterday while heading for the Malaysian border after stealing 2 million baht from a Phuket policeman.

Tedi Usman Bin Husin, 43; Yusuf Anwar, 30; Aldi Pratama, 27; and Muhammad Amid, 34, were presented a few hours later at a press conference presided over by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul

Sen Sgt Maj Boonyung Punsawat, an investigator with the Phuket Provincial Police, cashed a cheque for 2 million baht at Siam Commercial Bank in Rassada yesterday morning, explained Maj Gen Chonasit.

Maj Gen Chonasit did not explain what the 2mn baht in cash was for, or how Sgt Boonyung had come into possession of it.

Amid and Husin allegedly watched Sgt Boonyung cash the cheque, and alerted Anwar and Pratama to follow him on their rented motorbike.

At about 11am, Sgt Boonyung pulled over to the side of the road in Samkong to buy a coffee and left the engine of his pickup truck running.

Seeing the opportunity to strike, Anwar and Pratama pulled alongside. Anwar, riding pillion, got off the motorbike, opened the truck door, grabbed the 2mn baht, got back on the bike and they sped off.

Sgt Boonyung reportedly called “the police” right away.

Officers soon identified the motorbike the pair were riding from CCTV footage and quickly found the shop on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town where Pratama had rented it.

By the time officers arrived at the shop, the bike had already been returned.

Police matched Pratama’s face from the copy of his passport at the shop with the man operating the motorbike in the CCTV footage.

Fearing the men had already left the island, police alerted Highway Police officers in Phang Nga and Songkhla about the incident.

Good news arrived at about 7:30pm for Sgt Boonyung, when Haad Yai Highway Police officers informed Phuket Police that they had caught all four men on a bus heading from Phuket to Haad Yai.

The Haad Yai officers found 1.14mn baht in four black bags belonging to the men and a further 860,000 baht wrapped in a bundle of clothes under one of the men’s seats.

After questioning by police, the men apparently confessed that they stole the money from the policeman’s pickup.

The four suspects were brought back to Phuket to face charges. All four have been charged with committing theft with the use of a motorbike.

Maj Gen Chonasit said that the men were aiming to cross the border into Malaysia at Sadao, in Songkhla province.

“They have refused to admit that they have committed other robberies,” Maj Gen Chonasit said.

“Police had to work quickly to prevent them from escaping Thailand,” he added.

Commander Chonasit urged all people in Phuket to be wary of such thieves.

“Phuket is a tourist destination and all kinds of people live here. People who carry valuables and lots of money with them should be very careful, as anyone could be watching them and steal their property,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16284.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-28

Is that a joke ? Knowing how much a policeman is paid in this country , how come he got cash 2 millions baht ...saving perhaps ? LOL well that is the faster resolved case in the phuket history no ? I just wonder if the police will tell from where the money is from ....

No holes in this story.

Cop, withdraws 2 mill, leaves it in his pickup, which is open & with the engine running....

Right - nothing amiss there...

Perhaps they forgot to leave the XXXXX in exchange for the cash.

Is that a joke ? Knowing how much a policeman is paid in this country , how come he got cash 2 millions baht ...saving perhaps ? LOL well that is the faster resolved case in the phuket history no ? I just wonder if the police will tell from where the money is from ....

According to another source from the sale of land.

Repeat after me children, I must not leave ฿2 000 000 in an unlocked car, nor must I leave the engine running.

Must be one of Thailand's finest.

Is that a joke ? Knowing how much a policeman is paid in this country , how come he got cash 2 millions baht ...saving perhaps ? LOL well that is the faster resolved case in the phuket history no ? I just wonder if the police will tell from where the money is from ....

According to another source from the sale of land.

oh IC ... then I will leave my 2 millions in an open and running car and will go for a coffee ... lol

WOW had it been a farangs 2 million it would have never been found and what is a policeman doing with 2 million baht that is more than he would earn in 18 years as a policeman !!!!!! hey but like the advert says " Welcome to a miracle year in amazing Thailand " for sure I will never cease to be amazed with what happens in the land of smiles !!!!!

Is that a joke ? Knowing how much a policeman is paid in this country , how come he got cash 2 millions baht ...saving perhaps ? LOL well that is the faster resolved case in the phuket history no ? I just wonder if the police will tell from where the money is from ....

According to another source from the sale of land.

oh IC ... then I will leave my 2 millions in an open and running car and will go for a coffee ... lol

Yes, I also find that behaviour very, very strange.

Knowing how much a policeman is paid in this country

I don't know, how much do policemen make in Thailand? Can you list any regional difference? And diffference by rank or year of service?

You just can't make this <deleted> up... A cop cashes 2mil. In PHUKET.

A Sargent no less~~~

, this must be a wind up. Who gave the cop the check and what was it for.

The only good part of this story was that there was no violence and nobody was physically hurt.

First of April - or what ??

Amazing! They were able to review CCTV footage quick enough to apprehend the suspects before they could flee over the border, but the same quick investigation work could not be done in the case of the two dead Canadian girls on Phi Phi! CCTV footage was reviewed too late to find the last known person to have seen the girls alive. Is it unfair of me to presume that had the same guy just nicked 2M baht of a Thai Policeman they would have had him custody a week ago already.

Do they actually believe that anyone buys this load of tripe?

He probably was just a "Courier" for a local businessman .. or lady ...

Commander Chonasit urged all people in Phuket to be wary of such thieves.

Is he talking about the Indonesians or the police officer.

10,000 times a' 200 baht for not wearing a helmet. Incredible cops.....

Sent via my crappy Chinese tablet

Now that was a quick investigation, if only all investigations had as much professionalism and speed applied to them, then there may be less crime. Sorry, my bad, less crime means less tea money, silly me.

Seems to be lots of cops/guards with large sums of money being stolen lately. We've got the prison security guard being shot and having 3 million baht stolen, now this bib cashing a check for 2 million cash. Why would these people being carrying cash if it wasn't for a payoff of some sort where electronic wires and money transfers would raise a flag?

Surely if two of Phuket's finest were doing things legal and above board, they would simply be doing the banking/money transfers safely and electronically.

mmhh 2.000.000 in cash form a cheque, so where did it come from ? his percentage in some deals... his paycheck ???

The 2M was probably the takings of the day generated from the traffic cops under his command. 2Million is nothing for a Thai cop "Chump Change"

Knowing how much a policeman is paid in this country

I don't know, how much do policemen make in Thailand? Can you list any regional difference? And diffference by rank or year of service?

Answer: Between 7,200 for a freshman up to 25,000 plus the following suppliments a) location 3,000 accomodation 3,000 c) rank bonus 3,000

so it could be as high as 34,000 Baht per month !!!

OH SORRY I FORGOT THE OTHER BONUS: money stolen from the people: MILLIONS and MILLIONS

What a dumb cop. Cash a 2 million cheque and then make sure people can see you do it and then leave it in a truck with the engine running. Must have an IQ of about 50.

Knowing how much a policeman is paid in this country

I don't know, how much do policemen make in Thailand? Can you list any regional difference? And diffference by rank or year of service?

well , when a policeman is well paid he doesnt have need tea money .... according to some police friends here they start at 8,000 a month ..but need to buy their uniform and gun.

laurentbkk has given me the clue which allows me to triumpahntly state that I know what the money was to be spent on!

The 2 million was to buy himself a uniform and gun befitting his rank. The uniform would be hand tailored by Dior or Boss perhaps someone Italian. The gun would be something large. Afterall, the bigger the man, the bigger the gun. So probably something in the 120mm range and tank mounted due to its wieght?

A Thai traffic cop driving an M1 Abrahams dressed like a Hungarian Admiral, only in brown...

Now to figure out where the cash came from... tricky one that.

WOW had it been a farangs 2 million it would have never been found!

agree 100% !!! i never have any help from Thai Police (except for them filling out some form)! its almost impossible to get a PoliceMan to come outside to help you do or solve something.

also:

All four have been charged with committing theft with the use of a motorbike.

??? you mean that there is a specific law or punishment if theft is committed with the use of a motorbike? is it different to committing theft without a motorbike? !!!

finally: yes. something fishy about why the policeman had 2million baht,, - and also why anyone would leave it in an open running truck? and how on earth these guys knew to target him? seems that everybody was 'in the know' about something. perhaps a plan gone wrong?

What a dumb cop. Cash a 2 million cheque and then make sure people can see you do it and then leave it in a truck with the engine running. Must have an IQ of about 50.

When have you ever run into a coffee shop or 7/11 and left a 20 Baht note in the car?

its all a matter of scale you might ave a million in the bank he might have a billion so the 2 m represents pocket money.

Taksin got billions being a crooked cop.

Phuket, twilight zone = same same