Three Killed, 7.5 Kgs Of Gold Stolen

[george]

Three killed, 7.5 kgs of gold robbed

BANGKOK: -- A Laotian, who was dismissed from a Bangkok gold shop, has emerged as a prime suspect in a shocking crime in which attackers made off with more than 7.5 kilograms of gold by killing three female workers on Saturday.

Sang-arun Janprapha, 26, was fired from her job four months ago because she repeatedly stole gold from Kim Jia Hua Gold Shop in Bangkok's Samphanthawong district.

The shop's assistant Pornchai sae Kuay, who has worked for the shop for more than 20 years, Sunday told police that Sang-arun was the most suspicious because the shop never had any conflict with anyone before.

"While she worked here, she often brought her Laotian boyfriend here," Pornchai said. On Saturday, Kim Jia Hua Gold Shop was closed because its owner went to Udon Thani for a merit-making ceremony.

At around 1 pm that day, witnesses saw two men moving a cooking-gas cylinder into the shop.

Police said neighbours did not get suspicious until late Saturday night when smoke and gas smell flew out of the shop. A neighbour then knocked on the gold shop's door, ringing the bell and shouting. After she did not get any answer, she alerted police.

Shortly after 11 pm, police and fire fighters arrived at the scene. The shop was locked from the outside.

After they broke open the door and cleared some of the smoke out, they found that three cooking gas cylinders were left running and one of them already consumed by the fire inside the shop. More than 40 gold necklaces were scattered on the floor along with broken glass pieces.

The shop also suffered minor damages from the fire.

The large safety box at the shop, which measured one metre in height, was cut open and the contents were stolen. Jinda Sirapattanakul, 50, her daughter Pawana, 22, and Sunita Maithong, 41, were found dead inside the shop.

They died of severe wounds to their skulls, crushed by hard objects.

Sunita was married to Pirom Maithong, the shop's goldsmith and supervisor. She was allowed to stay at the shop because she used to work here before. Jinda is a maid while Pawana is a sales assistant

Working for the shop for more than 10 years, Pirom was not at the shop when the crimes took place because he was running some errands in Chon Buri.

Pirom also suspected that someone who had inside knowledge about the shop was behind this brutal crime.

"There are more than 7.5 kilograms of gold as well as some cash in the safety box," he said.

Pol Lt Col Songsak Soopanich, an inspector at Chakrawad Police Station, said four false teeth were found in the shop.

"They apparently belonged to a man and they should belong to an attacker. No one in the shop has had false teeth," he said. He added that Jinda also grasped some hair of her attacker in her hand.

Songsak said police would submit the false teeth and the hair for DNA tests in a bid to bring the culprits to justice.

He added that police would check video recordings from the shop's closed-circuit television even if it was turned off on Saturday. "We will check what has happened in the days before the attack," Songsak said, adding that police also examined recordings from a security camera installed by police at a nearby location.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Viroj Chanrangsi believed the attackers left open the cooking gas cylinders in the hopes of causing fire, which could have destroyed evidences and cover up their crimes.

"We are urgently investigating this case," he said.

Gold-shop owner Permsiri Wongprakrom, 67, said the victims had worked for her for many decades and they usually stayed at the shop. Permsiri herself lived in her house in Phra Khanong district.

-- The Nation 2006-09-10

[SamuiJens]

IMHO, Pirom has something too do with this or know who IMO.

[kurgen]

IMHO, Pirom has something too do with this or know who IMO.

Sherlock's in the house

[Scott]

My condolences to the deceased.

I would like to know how they always seem to know exactly how much was stolen-- I mean 7.5 Kg of gold??

[kurgen]

How much is 7.7 k's worth ?

[LivinLOS]

+- 20k USD / Kg..

So represents a lot of money to be left in a store..

[guardian]

How much is 7.7 k's worth ?

Between $130-140k$$$

Guardian

[kurgen]

seems a lot of gold to have stored, unless you planned on having a sale

3 lives are worth far more than 7.5 k's of gold

condolences to all

[terry57]

well those boys did not mess around on that job did they ?

smashed there skulls with a blunt object ?

bit bloody drastic i think.

would of been nice just to thai them up.

[Rdrokit]

First condolences to the relatives and friends of the 3 women that were killed. Second I once worked for a shop owner who was robbed during the night when the shop was closed. When the police called him down to the shop he took inventory and told the police and the insurance company that $100,000 US inventory was stolen. After an investigation it was found that only $20,000 in merchandise was stolen. The shop owner is now in jail. 7.5 kilos?????? oh yea

[gharknes]

well those boys did not mess around on that job did they ?

smashed there skulls with a blunt object ?

bit bloody drastic i think.

would of been nice just to thai them up.

sick

[Heng]

The amounts mentioned stored in gold shops overnight is actually less than what is stored in most shops that I have heard of (if the location is also a home as well). For branches in shopping centers, yes, they do limit the total amount stored as they don't have full time access to their inventory. Usually the bulk amounts are 3, 5, and 10 Baht nuggets though, in addition to chains, not the kind of bars that the sherlocks are probably imagining.

[Scott]

I am guessing that they had to kill them because otherwise, there would be witnesses. It's brutal, but for the theives it's logical.

[Patex]

I am guessing that they had to kill them because otherwise, there would be witnesses. It's brutal, but for the theives it's logical.

Pirom and Permsiri are the culprits.

Laotian boyfriends, from a laotian, 26 y.o. shopassistant who could steal repeatedly gold, with FOUR false teeth (and leaving more than 40 gold necklaces at the scene!) are hard to find... but then, if it where 4 steelteeth there would be a slight chance...

Pirom got rid of his aged wife + an extra bonus, and Permsiri is looking forward reciving the insurance - cash.

Taking the necklaces out of the shop would be too dangerous - leaving them in the shop means: No loss and a nice hint that there was ''More in the safe''.

Pornchai looks like the unsuspecting idiot in the drama.

Any more questions, Dr. Watson?

[cwilliam]

Three killed, 7.5 kgs of gold robbed

BANGKOK: -- A Laotian, who was dismissed from a Bangkok gold shop, has emerged as a prime suspect in a shocking crime in which attackers made off with more than 7.5 kilograms of gold by killing three female workers on Saturday.

Sang-arun Janprapha, 26, was fired from her job four months ago because she repeatedly stole gold from Kim Jia Hua Gold Shop in Bangkok's Samphanthawong district.

The shop's assistant Pornchai sae Kuay, who has worked for the shop for more than 20 years, Sunday told police that Sang-arun was the most suspicious because the shop never had any conflict with anyone before.

"While she worked here, she often brought her Laotian boyfriend here," Pornchai said. On Saturday, Kim Jia Hua Gold Shop was closed because its owner went to Udon Thani for a merit-making ceremony.

At around 1 pm that day, witnesses saw two men moving a cooking-gas cylinder into the shop.

Police said neighbours did not get suspicious until late Saturday night when smoke and gas smell flew out of the shop. A neighbour then knocked on the gold shop's door, ringing the bell and shouting. After she did not get any answer, she alerted police.

Shortly after 11 pm, police and fire fighters arrived at the scene. The shop was locked from the outside.

After they broke open the door and cleared some of the smoke out, they found that three cooking gas cylinders were left running and one of them already consumed by the fire inside the shop. More than 40 gold necklaces were scattered on the floor along with broken glass pieces.

The shop also suffered minor damages from the fire.

The large safety box at the shop, which measured one metre in height, was cut open and the contents were stolen. Jinda Sirapattanakul, 50, her daughter Pawana, 22, and Sunita Maithong, 41, were found dead inside the shop.

They died of severe wounds to their skulls, crushed by hard objects.

Sunita was married to Pirom Maithong, the shop's goldsmith and supervisor. She was allowed to stay at the shop because she used to work here before. Jinda is a maid while Pawana is a sales assistant

Working for the shop for more than 10 years, Pirom was not at the shop when the crimes took place because he was running some errands in Chon Buri.

Pirom also suspected that someone who had inside knowledge about the shop was behind this brutal crime.

"There are more than 7.5 kilograms of gold as well as some cash in the safety box," he said.

Pol Lt Col Songsak Soopanich, an inspector at Chakrawad Police Station, said four false teeth were found in the shop.

"They apparently belonged to a man and they should belong to an attacker. No one in the shop has had false teeth," he said. He added that Jinda also grasped some hair of her attacker in her hand.

Songsak said police would submit the false teeth and the hair for DNA tests in a bid to bring the culprits to justice.

He added that police would check video recordings from the shop's closed-circuit television even if it was turned off on Saturday. "We will check what has happened in the days before the attack," Songsak said, adding that police also examined recordings from a security camera installed by police at a nearby location.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Viroj Chanrangsi believed the attackers left open the cooking gas cylinders in the hopes of causing fire, which could have destroyed evidences and cover up their crimes.

"We are urgently investigating this case," he said.

Gold-shop owner Permsiri Wongprakrom, 67, said the victims had worked for her for many decades and they usually stayed at the shop. Permsiri herself lived in her house in Phra Khanong district.

-- The Nation 2006-09-10

TIT