PHUKET, Sept 19 (TNA) – Four British nationals have been arrested in Phuket after a brazen daylight robbery that targeted an American tourist.
The suspects, all aged between 25 and 27, are accused of working together to steal a luxury watch worth more than 2.3 million baht.
The incident occurred yesterday when the suspects allegedly used a blue car to ram the victim’s motorbike. According to the victim, a lawyer in his 40s who was visiting Phuket, two large men got out of the car, assaulted him, and stole his watch before fleeing in the vehicle. The victim was later assisted by a good Samaritan, a Phuket airport firefighter named Somphum Nopwankaew, who had witnessed the crash.
“I saw the whole thing on my dashcam,” said Somphum. “When the man ran to my car, I told him I had the footage and would do everything I could to help.”
Police at the Cherng Talay Police Station were able to use the dashcam footage and other CCTV from the area to identify and track down the suspects. During the arrests, officers recovered the stolen watch, two firearms, ammunition, and three vehicles believed to have been used in the crime.
The American victim, who has visited Thailand multiple times, said that the country feels like a “second home” to him. Police believe the robbery was a planned operation and that the gang had been targeting the victim for some time. The four suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues. -819 (TNA)
