Cross-Province Chase Ends in an Indonesian 1M Baht Theft Arrest

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Police arrest an Indonesian suspect (facing away from camera) in Nakhon Ratchasima province on October 22, 2024.

HAT YAI — Police have arrested an Indonesian thief who stole 1 million baht in cash from a pickup truck shortly after the owner had withdrawn it from the bank. Police believe he is a member of a foreign criminal group operating in Thailand.

On October 23, Hat Yai police officials announced the arrest of Mr. Erwin, a 45-year-old Indonesian suspect who stole 1 million baht in cash from a vehicle parked on the street in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, on October 21.

They worked with Songkhla Provincial Police investigation teams, Nakhon Si Thammarat City Police investigators, and Nakhon Si Thammarat Tourist Police to make the arrest after discovering the suspect had fled from Songkhla to Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The incident occurred at 4:30 PM on October 21, when the victim withdrew 1 million baht from a bank in Hat Yai and placed it in the pickup truck’s cab behind the driver’s seat. After running several errands, they parked in front of a restaurant near Bang Hak community on Sakorn Mongkol Road, Hat Yai.

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CCTV footage shows the suspect following the targeted pickup truck to various locations before stealing 1 million baht from the vehicle in Hat Yai, Songkhla province on October 21, 2024.

While driving over Sajjakul Bridge, the victim noticed the left door wasn’t properly closed. Upon stopping to close it, they discovered the envelope containing the million baht was missing. They immediately reported it to Hat Yai Police Station, believing the theft occurred while parked at the restaurant.

Police questioned witnesses in the area, and a Myanmar worker reported seeing a bronze Honda Civic parked with its engine running about 20 meters in front of the pickup truck, which seemed suspicious.

After reviewing CCTV footage, police found this Honda had been following the victim’s vehicle. They tracked the car from Hat Yai to Nakhon Si Thammarat, where it was parked at a hotel.

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A portion of the money that the suspect confessed to stealing from an envelope left in the targeted pickup truck.

On October 22, officers waited until the suspect left the hotel and entered the sedan before making the arrest. A search of his bag revealed 400,000 baht of the stolen million.

The suspect, Erwin, confessed that during the incident, he was waiting for a friend who went to exchange money at the bank when he saw a woman withdraw a large amount of cash. He followed her and saw her hand it to someone in a pickup truck parked in front of the bank.

When the pickup truck driver left, he followed the vehicle and took the opportunity to break in and steal the cash when the owner stepped away, then fled to Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Investigators don’t believe this was an opportunistic crime, suspecting instead that he belongs to a foreign criminal group operating throughout various provinces in Thailand. He has been transferred to Hat Yai Police Station for prosecution, and the investigation continues.

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