BANGKOK — A Filipino thief who had stolen a diamond necklace from a Bangkok mall returns overconfidently to commit another crime, only to be arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Thiradet Thammasuthir, Commander of the Metropolitan Police Investigation Division, announced the arrest of Mr. Rolly, a 49-year-old Filipino national, at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Samut Prakan Province at around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday.
The arrest was made on the basis of an Arrest Warrant dated May 25, 2024, issued by the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court for “Theft by Disguise or Other Means to Prevent Recognition.”
Mr. Rolly had entered Thailand on March 26, 2024, and later committed a theft of diamond jewelry from a department store in the Pathumwan area.
According to CCTV footage at the store, he approached a jewelry display and took advantage of a moment of distraction by the staff to steal a diamond necklace of 9.40 carats and 20 grams of gold worth over THB 250,000 ($7,420) before fleeing the scene.
The Metropolitan Police Investigation Division 1 (MPI1) then began an investigation and discovered that Mr. Rolly fled Thailand on the same day he committed the crime. MPI1 officers worked with Pathumwan Police Station and analyzed CCTV footage to identify the suspect.
On the morning of September 5, 2024, the surveillance team discovered that Mr. Rolly had returned to Thailand and was about to commit another crime. MPI1 officers then set up a stakeout and were able to arrest him at the scene of the crime. During the arrest, he confessed to being the person in the CCTV footage. Court proceedings will follow.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Thiradet warned gold stores, jewelers, and other retailers to be wary of well-dressed customers with strong profiles who may pose as thieves. These individuals often take advantage of moments when store staff are distracted or inattentive to steal items.
Store operators are advised to increase their security measures, ask for IDs or passports before displaying products, install high-definition CCTV cameras, and set up alarm systems linked to nearby police stations.
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