Investigators looking into the heist found two pick-up trucks yesterday (Oct 6), which they believe were used by the suspects. The vehicles were abandoned at a palm plantation in Waeng district, reports the Bangkok Post.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and forensic officers were deployed to the site to ensure that there were no explosives hidden in the vehicles and to collect fingerprints and DNA evidence.
Police believe the heist involved 19–20 men divided into three groups. The first group of individuals stole the two pickup trucks used in the heist, another raided the gold shop, while a third planted explosives and scattered spiked strips around the shopping centre to prevent being chased.
In total, two bombs were detonated, one damaging a streetlight pole along the Sungai Kolok–Sungai Padi road, while the other caused damage to a railway barrier.
The suspects are believed to have fled along the Sakor-Waeng route to Malaysia, via natural crossings.
Lt Gen Norathip Pounok, commander of the Fourth Army Region and acting director of Isoc Region 4, has ordered heightened security in both urban and rural areas. He also ordered extra patrols along the Thai-Malaysian border.
Security agencies are reviewing CCTV footage and collecting forensic evidence to identify those involved, he said.
Investigators suspect the group has ties to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), a key rebel movement in Thailand’s deep South.
Officials believe the heist was not only intended to create panic but also to generate funds for rebel activities. Similar cases in the past include coordinated ATM robberies in August and a major gold shop raid in Songkhla in 2019.
Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has expressed confidence that the situation will be resolved soon.