Patong ATM thieves caught with skimming equipment re-enact crime

[webfact]

Patong ATM thieves caught with skimming equipment re-enact crime
Phuket Gazette


During the re-enactment Mr Suta and Mr Marin demonstrated how they broke into the ATM. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- The trio of professional thieves who were busted in Bangkok after robbing an ATM in Phuket were caught with what police believe to be ATM skimming equipment in addition to safe-cracking tools.

Yesid Alexander Ledesma Gutierrez, 50, Luis Fernando Guarin Suta, 44, and Carlos Arturo Amariles Marin, 57 have all confessed to the blowtorch robbery, and took part in a re-enactment of it yesterday morning (story here).

“We found a piece of equipment that looks like a camera that can be attached to an ATM to skim cards. We are further investigating the possibility that the men are part of an ATM skimming gang,” Phuket Provincial Deputy Commander Arun Kaewwatee said.

In addition to the camera, police seized four mobile phones, two documents for money transfers abroad, 15 steel tubes, a magnet, copper tubing, a blowtorch, a universal gas head adapter, a safe auto-dialer, a borescope and piles of cash.

“The suspects flew from Mexico to Hat Yai via Singapore. They then rented a car in Krabi and drove to Phuket, checking into a hotel in Patong to scout the area for the next two days,” Lt Col Somsak Tongkliang said.

During the re-enactment Mr Suta and Mr Marin demonstrated how they broke into the ATM, while Mr Gutierrez positioned himself as the the driver of the getaway car.

“After they got the money, they dropped the empty ATM cassettes about 200 meters from the scene,” Lt Col Somsak said.

In the process of cutting through the ATM the thieves severely burned the bottom ATM cassette, which contained 1.4 million baht worth of 1,000 baht notes.

“The suspects thought that the money inside was probably burned too, and left it behind,” Col Somsak said.

Phuket’s top cop Ong-art Phiwruangnont explained that the re-enactment took place to clarify events, and because it was non-violent crime.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Patong-ATM-thieves-caught-with-skimming-equipment-re-enact-crime-22987.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-12-10

[simon43]

How stupid can you get?! These guys are experts in stupidity

[draftvader]

Doing it with your hands bound together? Surely that's got to slow you down.....amateurs!

[webfact]

Foreign trio reenact bungled Phuket ATM robbery
Eakkapop Thongtub


Gang leader Arturo Marin, kneeling, and Guarin Suta, in the foreground, prepare to show how they cracked the ATM.

PHUKET: -- Two Colombians and a Mexican, arrested in Bangkok on Sunday, have reenacted the way they broke into an Phuket ATM last week.

Infamously the men stole B200,000, leaving B1.4 million which apparently thought that they had incinerated while breaking into the ATM with a cutting torch.

The two Colombians, gang leader Arturo Amariles Marin, 57, and Guarin Suta, 45, aka Luis Fernando, opened the back of the ATM with a cutting torch, while the 50-year-old Mexican, Yesid Alexander, acted as driver and lookout.

The robbers had spent considerable time and money on preparation, acquiring some sophisticated safe-breaking equipment.

Police displayed 15 steel pipes and a copper pipe, a cylindrical magnet, a bellows, a black bag, safebreaking equipment that police say cannot be found in Thailand, drills, metal cutters, and equipment for establishing the combination of the lock, including a flexible optic scope for insertion through a small hole to see the inside of a safe.

Also seized were B45,000 in cash and documents showing the transfer of money abroad, four cellphones, a camera and the clothing used by the men while carrying out the robbery.

Police are now investigating whether the men also had connections with ATM skimmer gangs.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/foreigner-trio-reenact-phuket-atm-robbery-43339.php

-- Phuket News 2013-12-10

[Pikeybkk]

bull crap....skimmers do not go around with blow torches and do this, they are stealth criminals and these guys would hardly be the age to commit such a crime with a blow torch. They are being fit up in order for the Thai Police top clear crimes.....simple as

[JeffreyWitty]

I don't get it -

If you are guilty of a crime here, why admit it and re-enact it? Make the police do their jobs (investigate) and even if they got you dead to rights, wouldn't re-enacting be along the lines of implicating oneself?

Can't the crooks just tell the BiB to "prove it in court" and hide behind their lawyer?

Maybe I presume too much and the concept of innocent until PROVEN guilty in a COURT OF LAW is not practiced here in the LOS?

[umbanda]

It is very hard to believe that those people came from South America to steal Thai money.......200.000THB????....$7,000????... with torch, etc, etc....?....In America robing a 7 Eleven...or a bank's teller with just a note saying "I had a gun...etc,etc"...will result in 3 times that money.....

No way Jose!

[GaoYuk]

Are you sure they weren't just giving the BIB some free lessons?

''ok mister now you teach show us how you open safe''

[maamoot]

so how are you enjoying your trip so far ?

[harleyclarkey]

They come all the way from Mexico to Thailand to skim/rob/blow up ATM machines? I don't get it.

Not the cleverest place to spend some years in jail....and far far away from any chance of having visitors.

[LivinginKata]

They come all the way from Mexico to Thailand to skim/rob/blow up ATM machines? I don't get it.

Not the cleverest place to spend some years in jail....and far far away from any chance of having visitors.

Yes, I would agree. Something all wrong with this crime. Just does not add up.

[DGIE]

How stupid can you get?! These guys are experts in stupidity

they might think they will be freed after reenactment

[DGIE]

They come all the way from Mexico to Thailand to skim/rob/blow up ATM machines? I don't get it.

Not the cleverest place to spend some years in jail....and far far away from any chance of having visitors.

they have thought already that if caught, at least no friends and relatives knew that they are now in jail. no lost of face

[DGIE]

so how are you enjoying your trip so far ?

at least they don't pay their rooms in jail

[jpduggan]

I thought I saw that they had 2 Indian looking men suspects in this case or was that another safe cracking crew?

[jpduggan]

Two Vietnamese sought for B1.6m Phuket ATM heist
Eakkapop Thongtub


Wanted suspects: Tran Dano Hoa and Nguyen Thanh

PHUKET: -- Police have issued arrest warrants for two Vietnamese men wanted for breaking into an ATM at Boat Lagoon a month ago and stealing B1.65 million.

The two have been named as Tran Dano Hoa and Nguyen Thanh, both aged 27, but getting them into court may take some time; police said the two are already back in their home country.

Pol Lt Col Prawit Angchuan explained that the investigation zeroed in on the duo after they were filmed by a security camera attempting earlier the same day to break into an ATM in Thalang.

That attempt was unsuccessful, so the two Vietnamese then went to Boat Lagoon where they successfully opened the Siam Commercial Bank ATM using a cutting torch, and made off with the money.

From questioning witnesses and looking at CCTV footage along the way, police tracked them as far as Patong, and were able to identify both.

Immigration officers around the country have been alerted to keep an eye out for the thieves, just in case, but it is believed they left the country through Nong Khai into Laos and made their way home from there soon after the robbery.

Pol Col Sermphan Sirikhong, superintendent of Phuket Town Police, noted that the robbers had been helped by the fact that the alarm on the ATM was not linked to the police but a centralised bank security system, so valuable time had been lost alerting police, allowing the duo to make good their escape.

Source: http://www.thephuket...386134908_1.jpg


-- Phuket News 2013-12-04

[jpduggan]

I thought I saw that they had 2 Indian looking men suspects in this case or was that another safe cracking crew?

Sorry it was Vietnamese.

[Torrens54]

bull crap....skimmers do not go around with blow torches and do this, they are stealth criminals and these guys would hardly be the age to commit such a crime with a blow torch. They are being fit up in order for the Thai Police top clear crimes.....simple as

What makes you an expert?

If I were you, and thank God I'm not....I'd hate to be THAT Stupid, I'd take a great deal of care before making the allegations that you have just submitted. You might find that the Royal Thai Police take Legal action against you!

[kevinc]

Why didnt they just blow torch the hinges off the back of that Atm? My fridge looks more secure than that Atm.

To be honest though, i know people here that burn more than 1.4 Million Baht in the bars in Soi Buakhow in less than a year.

[jacko45k]

I have to wonder how these guys managed this without arousing the suspicions of anybody.

Did they just arrive at a remote ATM and proceed to turn it around and use a blow-torch on it.

Was this in the middle of the day.... or night.

Oh look, a farang ATM maintenance team working!

[Friendly Stranger]

Why didnt they just blow torch the hinges off the back of that Atm? My fridge looks more secure than that Atm.

To be honest though, i know people here that burn more than 1.4 Million Baht in the bars in Soi Buakhow in less than a year.

I know ppl go a little crazy here on the lifestyle but almost 50K in a year? Whatever happened to pacing ones self LOL.

[IsaanUSA]

It is very hard to believe that those people came from South America to steal Thai money.......200.000THB????....$7,000????... with torch, etc, etc....?....In America robing a 7 Eleven...or a bank's teller with just a note saying "I had a gun...etc,etc"...will result in 3 times that money.....

No way Jose!

lol. 7/11 has maybe $300 in the register.

[ericthai]

I don't get it -

If you are guilty of a crime here, why admit it and re-enact it? Make the police do their jobs (investigate) and even if they got you dead to rights, wouldn't re-enacting be along the lines of implicating oneself?

Can't the crooks just tell the BiB to "prove it in court" and hide behind their lawyer?

Maybe I presume too much and the concept of innocent until PROVEN guilty in a COURT OF LAW is not practiced here in the LOS?

Because in Thailand if you cooperate and plead guilty you get an automatic 50% reduction in your sentence. Also does not matter

what the offence was can be murder you still get half!

[mok199]

wow these guys should be retired...