Two concrete finishers have been arrested in connection with the attempted ATM heist in Pathum Thani province on Monday.
Sarawut Bannakij, left, and Mongkolchai Saejia (Photo by Pongpat Wongyala)
Pathum Thani provincial police said on Friday that Mongkolchai Saejia, 29, and Sarawut Bannakij, 21, have been apprehended for allegedly ripping a Siam Commercial Bank ATM from its base outside a restaurant in tambon Ku Kwang, Lat Lum Kaeo district.
The thieves tried to pry open the damaged machine with a crowbar, but failed and fled empty handed. The gang also laid home-made tyre spikes, made from housing nails and wooden planks, on the road to hinder any pursuit. The thieves apparently decided the ATM was too heavy to carry away on their pickup, police said.
Police said CCTV images from the area showed one of them was a large man. Investigators also questioned staff of many hardware stores in the province to determine where the crowbar and wooden planks came from.
The information obtained eventually led to the arrest of the two suspects.
Pol Maj-Gen Naret Nantachote, the commander of Region 1 provincial police, said the suspects admitted getting the idea for the heist from the internet. The case investigation would now serve as an example for future similar cases.
Mr Mongkolchai allegedly confessed to the crime, saying he had borrowed more than 400,000 baht from loan sharks and finance companies to fund his struggling ceramic business. He invest 10,000 baht to buy the equipment and spent 10 days planning the job.
He chose that particular ATM because of it had a weak cement foundation, police said.
Photo by Pongpat Wongyala