PATTAYA — Tourist Police in Pattaya arrested two Indian men on their first day in Thailand for stealing a camera battery from a fellow countryman, then casually strolling on Walking Street.
At 5:20 a.m. on September 5, Pattaya Tourist Police arrested Mr. Abhishek, 29, and Mr. Akash, 28, both Indian nationals, suspected of theft from another Indian citizen.
Mr. Shaik, 34, also an Indian national, reported to Pattaya City Police Station that his camera battery pack was stolen at a cannabis shop on Walking Street, Pattaya City, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province.
Before the incident, Shaik entered the cannabis shop where the theft occurred and placed his camera battery pack on a sofa. While he was shopping, three tourists of the same nationality entered the store.
CCTV footage shows the suspects noticing Shaik’s belongings on the sofa. The two suspects sat down, with the larger one sitting on top of the battery pack while the thinner one reached underneath to grab it and put it in a bag. They continued sitting to avoid suspicion before leaving the shop.
Later, Pattaya Tourist Police, stationed at a tourist safety point on Walking Street, were notified by Pattaya City Police about the theft. They quickly reviewed CCTV footage from the shop and along the suspects’ escape route, only to find that the perpetrators hadn’t fled but were still casually walking around nearby on Walking Street.
When the two realized they were in trouble after police identified themselves, they tried to return the stolen item to Mr. Shaik, claiming they had found it on the ground. The police didn’t believe them and took them to the Tourist Police Station for questioning.
When shown the clear CCTV footage from the shop, the suspects confessed to intentionally stealing the item.
Initially, both suspects, who had arrived in Thailand just one day prior, were detained along with the evidence – a camera battery pack worth about 5,000 baht. They were handed over to Pattaya City Police Station investigators to be formally charged.
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