The arrest of five Filipinos who allegedly snatched a 300,000-baht diamond necklace from a jewellery fair in Bangkok has prompted police to broaden the scope of their inquiries when they investigate foreign criminal activity.
The robbery was similar to an episode last year which involved two Chinese who were accused of stealing a 10-million-baht diamond.
Most jewellery theft gangs have a basic operation system, where some members try to distract sellers which others swoop in to grab the displays. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Police faced difficulties retrieving the precious gemstone after a female suspect gulped it down.
The latest case signalled to police that robbers do not necessarily hold certain nationalities, said Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) deputy chief Kon-ek Phetchaiyawet.
The suspects were identified as two women, Canoy Adoracion Carpio, 58, and Mallari Sofia Candelaria, 56, and three men, Ebueza Christian Carpio, 27, Bien Nonoy Mulobuko, 27, and Chapoco Florenz Velarde, 65.
Police are working on a new prevention plan. They say the robbery allegedly committed by the five Filipinos shows signs of good teamwork with a good division of responsibilities.
According to an account from a worker at the jewellery fair, two men acting as tourists showed an interest in buying jewels at his booth.
They asked many questions and kept on talking when one of them, in a lightning-fast movement, snatched the necklace from a showcase while the staff member was distracted.
His booth was at the 58th Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair held at Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani, the same venue where two Chinese suspects -- Jiang Sulian, 30, and He Ying, 30 -- made off with the six-carat gemstone in early September last year.
A further investigation found the two impersonator buyers were only part of the scam. Three other suspects were assigned to keep an eye out for roaming police.
This allowed the two suspects in the shop to focus on the job of stealing the necklace and fleeing.
One of the two talked to the salesman to turn his attention away from the showcase, allowing the other to snatch the jewel and quickly put it into a notebook. After they got what they wanted, they cut short their conversation and walked away.
The gang tried to leave Thailand as soon as possible, "but because we had made ourselves aware of the robbery we managed to catch them in a short time", Pol Maj Gen Kon-ek said.
Last year's theft prompted the CIB to take precautions against robberies at this year's fair. Uniformed and plainclothes police were stationed at the fair.
Though they failed to arrest the suspects there, officers immediately contacted tourist and immigration police at Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports to look out for travellers whose behaviour looked suspicious.
In this case, a team of tourist police at Don Mueang airport used security camera footage in their search. They spotted the five suspects and took their belongings for inspection. The stolen diamond necklace was found.
The investigation revealed the gang entered Thailand on Sept 5 and was scheduled to leave the country last Monday.
They decided to speed back to their home country after the robbery on Sept 7, but police acted fast and arrested them, Pol Maj Gen Kon-ek said.
Last year police directed their attention to Chinese thieves, especially those from Hunan province, but after the latest robbery, they have added visitors from the Philippines to their list of possible targets.
Pol Maj Gen Kon-ek said Indonesians and suspects from the Middle East are also on a watch list.
The robbers display similar behaviour, he said. They usually come to Thailand one day before a jewellery fair. Investigators need to start gathering information on suspects early, including where they stay.
Contact Crime Track: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th.