UPDATE: Phuket City Police later confirmed that officers had tracked down his colleagues, identified only as a German woman and an Austrian man, and on Jan 22 placed them under arrest for the offence of "jointly committing theft".
Staff at Thanya Spa & Massage on Ranong Rd realised the theft when conducting a routine end-of-day revenue check on Tuesday (Jan 20).
On reviewing CCTV footage, staff saw a foreign man taking cash from the drawer while the cashier was briefly away assisting other customers. Staff then filed a report with police.
Officers from Phuket City Police tasked with investigating the theft later yesterday (Jan 21) tracked down and arrested Laszlo Ruben Eschenlohr, 24, a German national.
He was taken into custody on a charge of theft, police said, but did not report the location of his arrest.
Officers from Phuket Tourist Police and Phuket Immigration were called in to assist, Phuket City Police noted.
Police said Eschenlohr had previously visited the spa and stolen cash from the cashier’s drawer. He later returned to the shop in an apparent attempt to apologise and return the money, but staff declined and contacted police, as a formal complaint had already been filed.
During initial questioning, Mr Eschenlohr reportedly broke down in tears and expressed remorse for his actions. He was formally charged and taken into custody for further legal proceedings.
A cashier at the spa, whose identity has been withheld, told police that Mr Eschenlohr arrived with two companions, making a group of three. After entering the shop, the group selected services and made payment. While the cashier was briefly away assisting other customers and escorting one to the restroom, Mr Eschenlohr remained near the counter.
The cashier later noticed the cash drawer open but initially believed she may have forgotten to close it. After the group completed their massages and left the shop, staff conducted a full reconciliation of the day’s income, including bank transfers, credit card payments and cash. While electronic payments matched the system records, B2,000 in cash was found to be missing.
CCTV footage later confirmed the suspect removing money from the drawer. Footage also showed the group behaving suspiciously before leaving the premises, after appearing to notice the presence of security cameras, police noted.
Phuket City Police said the investigation remains ongoing as officers work to locate and prosecute the two suspected accomplices who were seen with the suspect at the time of the incident.