Police said members of the gang would target new faces in Patong, befriend them, and then take them to the beach or a local karaoke bar. There, they would offer them drinks into which they had mixed their own specially devised soporific drug, the main ingredient being Alpha Solam cough syrup.
“Kathu police have been looking for this gang for a long time,” said Kathu police Pol Capt Rattaket Munmuang. “We have had many complaints about this kind of robbery.”
All the women had criminal records, he added.
“Last night (October 31), we found one of them and arrested her. She led us to the others. All six women are from Isarn.”
Among those arrested was the leader of the gang, 45-year-old Kemporn ‘Da’ Phusidin. “After the members of the gang robbed a victim of anything they could take – money, phones or jewellery – they would take them to Da, who would would sell the stolen items and divide the proceeds between the gang members,” Capt Rattaket explained.
Kathu police are still questioning the six women for more information about the drug used, and about previous robberies.
Police believe there are more gang members still out there.