Officers led by Lt Col Suphap Saelim of the Chalong Police, together with Thai Muang Police of Phang Nga, arrested Winai “Boy” Sitthisak, 25, at a house in Moo 9, Chalong, at around midday yesterday (Jan 27).
Winai was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by Phang Nga Provincial Court for committing theft by using a vehicle to flee after he stole a gold necklace in Thai Muang on Sunday (Jan 26), Lt Col Suphap explained.
Winai arrived at a gold shop on Phetkasem Rd in Moo 4, Thai Mueang, and asked a staffer to show him a gold necklace. The staffer obliged, but Winai fled as soon as he had the gold necklace in hand, he added.
The necklace was valued at about B46,900, he said.
“Police in Thai Muang had checked CCTV in the area and were in the process of tracking down the thief when we received a tip-off that he was in Chalong, leading to the arrest,” Lt Col Suphap said.
Winai confessed to committing the theft in order to pay gambling debts, Lt Col Suphap explained.
“After committing the theft, he immediately came to Phuket to hide at his friend’s house,” he added.
At the house, police also seized the outfit that Winai wore while committing the theft and a Phuket-registered Honda Click that Winai used to flee the scene. A document proving that the motorbike was rented was also seized at the house, Lt Col Suphap noted.
Police yesterday took Winai to the Big C shopping centre on the bypass road where he sold the necklace to a gold shop. The necklace was reclaimed and Winai was handed over to the Thai Mueang Police to face charges in Phang Nga, Lt Col Suphap concluded.