A Mongolian man was shot dead by police in a failed gun shop heist in Bangkok on Friday while his three compatriots were later arrested.
Police said they used BB guns and knives to rob the shop.
The robbery occurred at Interarms gunshop in the Wang Burapha area on Charoen Krung Road in Phra Nakhon district on Friday around 11am. Many gun shops are located in the area.
Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) acting commissioner Sanit Mahathaworn said four Mongolian men entered the shop, with covered faces and wearing helmets, and pulled out BB guns to demand shop owner Pakorn Daenglamai, 38, and his assistant Sitthinon Monthaphan, 32, give them guns.
Mr Pakorn resisted and was slightly injured in the ensuing scuffle while Mr Sitthinon was stabbed, but not seriously hurt. Both were taken to a hospital.
Police nearby arrived at the scene after hearing the commotion at the shop. The robbers decided to speed away on two motorcycles. However, they pointed their fake guns at an officer who fired at the suspects.
The shooting left three suspects injured, with one later being pronounced dead at a hospital.
The fourth suspect managed to escape but was later detained in a house on Soi Sirichai 1 after police had cordoned off the house for more than an hour.
Police later identified him as Ma Geng. The names of the three other suspects were not disclosed. All were being held at Samran Rat police station for questioning.
At the scene, police seized two BB guns, a pocket knife, a pair of handcuffs, two radio transmitters and two motorcycles with fake licence plates.
Meanwhile, national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda yesterday said an initial investigation found there were five men involved in the robbery. The fifth suspect, who remains at large, was the mastermind, he said.
Pol Gen Chakthip said the four suspects reconnoitered the location the day before the robbery.
The four suspects entered the country as tourists on Feb 27. Authorities let them in as they had no criminal records. The probe will look to establish if Thais were involved in the heist planning.
Pol Gen Chakthip added that a crackdown on 6,000 influential figures nationwide will be launched today in response to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's proposed order to provide peace and security for the public.
He was speaking at the Royal Thai Police yesterday after chairing a meeting on the crackdown.
The meeting was also attended by the chiefs of Provincial Police Regions 1-9 and representatives from the Southern Border Provinces Police Operation Centre and the Central Investigation Bureau.
Pol Gen Chakthip said the operation will zero in on prominent figures and suspects wanted on arrest warrants nationwide. Drug trafficking, bidding corruption and loan sharks are among the targets.
The operation will be carried out by the police, military and administrative officials, and its success will be assessed by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, he said.
