When thieves in Pathum Thani pulled off a heist of gold ornaments worth 21 million baht from a gold company truck last week, the operation appeared to be highly sophisticated. But some suspicious aspects of the crime scene led police to quickly unravel the case and nab all suspects within six hours.
The gold robbery was reported to police at 9.30am on Tuesday. It occurred in Soi Wat Ketprapha in tambon Bueng Kham Phroi of Lam Luk Ka district.
Initial information revealed a robber stopped the Shining Gold Co pickup truck by shooting one of its tyres and stealing 14kg of gold ornaments.
Pol Maj Gen Methi Kusolsang, acting commander of Pathum Thani police, ordered his deputy, Amnaj Chancharoen, and provincial investigator chief Sunthon Himarat to run the investigation.
Pol Maj Gen Methi, who is also the deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1, also ordered local police to set up checkpoints around the province to track down the fleeing suspect.
Pol Col Amnaj and Pol Col Sunthon arrived at the scene and checked the pickup truck.
The officers also talked to driver Korakot Changdecha, 27, and Suriyachan Thaithanu, 31, who was sitting in the passenger seat. They were both employees of the gold firm.
A company executive explained to the officers the robbery could not have happened without someone cooperating on the inside.
Police recovered the gold ornaments and arrested all six robber gang members, leaving them time to marvel at just how easy the would-be criminal geniuses had made it to capture them. (Photo by Pongpat Wongyala)
The officers were particularly interested in the truck's flat tyre. They believed it would have been difficult to shoot the tyre of a moving vehicle.
The employees told the investigators that a gunman wearing a black jacket and helmet carried out the attack alone. He used a motorcycle in the heist.
"I started to wonder how a man riding a motorcycle could draw a gun and shoot precisely at the tyre like this," Pol Col Amnaj said.
"If the attacker is right-handed, it is unlikely he could open fire at the right side of the pickup truck because this means he had to cross his body with his right hand to shoot the pickup on his left. This is virtually impossible."
The employees were taken to a Pathum Thani police station, where they were interrogated separately. According to investigators, the pair gave different accounts of the incident, including the time when the gunman opened fire and the direction in which he fled.
Upon examination of the pair police found both have been prosecuted on drugs and firearms offences.
After being told their accounts were different, police say Mr Suriyachan admitted he and Mr Korakot hatched the heist plan.
The duo also implicated Somphong Khamson, 26, who they said rode a motorcycle to a meeting point.
Mr Somphong shot the tyre when the vehicle was stationary and took the gold ornaments, the suspects said.
After the confession, police spread out to 10 locations to catch the third man, including the houses of the two employees.
Hours later, Mr Somphong turned up at Mr Suriyachan's house where police arrested him.
Police say he admitted working with the two employees in the heist, adding he hid the gun and stolen gold at the home of a friend, Wanchai Duangsang, 32, in Pathum Thani's Khlong Luang district.
Mr Somphong said he also lodged a police complaint saying his motorcycle had been stolen, so police could not implicate him.
Another police team visited Mr Wanchai's house, where he and his housemate, Nathakij Kaewdang, 27, denied being involved.
After police took Mr Somphong to the house, Mr Wanchai was cornered and finally supplied information to police, including the place where the gold ornaments were hidden.
Police will also take legal action against Mr Nathakij, who they said helped hide Mr Songphong's motorcycle.
The five men are facing charges of theft and receiving stolen items. Mr Somphong faces an additional charge of using a firearm.
Pol Col Amnaj conceded the gang hatched a good plan, but said all crimes leave clues.
He also urged firms dealing with valuables to carefully check the background of people applying for jobs before employing them.
Contact Crime Track: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th