Bangkok: Nonthaburi police have apprehended two Chinese nationals suspected of targeting luxury homes in the area, seizing a comprehensive array of robbery tools.
According to Thai News Agency, the arrests followed an investigation stemming from CCTV footage capturing three male suspects scaling a wall and burglarizing a home in a luxury housing estate in Bang Tanai Subdistrict, Pak Kret District. The incidents occurred on April 9th and 11th, with the stolen items valued at approximately 1 million baht.
Investigators from Chaiyaphruek Police Station analyzed the footage, discovering that the suspects had used public transportation to reach the crime scene, subsequently accessing the estate via vacant land. After committing the burglaries, the trio fled the scene, sold the stolen items in another province, and returned to China. Based on the gathered evidence, the Nonthaburi Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant on May 11th, prompting immigration police to act. Upon their return to Thailand, Mr. Le Bao and Mr. Fei Qing, both 49, were arrested and found with numerous items linking them to the crimes, including clothing, a shoulder bag, shoes, a balaclava, and gloves.
The two suspects have been charged with "jointly committing theft in a dwelling by damaging protective barriers, entering through an unauthorized entry point, concealing their faces, and acting together as a group of two or more people, at night." A third suspect, Mr. Wen Hu, remains at large, having not returned to Thailand.
The Chaiyaphruek Police Station's investigation further revealed that all three suspects deliberately traveled to Thailand to commit these crimes during a long holiday. They stayed in a hotel in Bangkok's Don Mueang area and used public transportation to burglarize four houses, later selling the stolen goods in Pattaya, Chonburi province. After identifying the suspects' full names through hotel records, arrest warrants were issued.
Despite the evidence, the two apprehended suspects have continued to deny the charges during initial questioning. The stolen goods primarily consisted of gold necklaces, cash, and designer handbags, each incident amounting to a theft of about 1 million baht.