Chinese tourists Li Keu Zin and Li San San reported to Karon Police on Sunday that a man and a woman, both believed to be foreigners, stole their bag and sped off on a motorbike at about 8:20pm.
The items reported stolen included a yellow crocheted bag, a black iPhone 7 plus, 15 yuan in cash (about B74), an undisclosed amount in Thai banknotes, ID cards and three passports.
Subsequently, a multi-police division hunt was launched for the suspects comprising no less than officers of the Karon Police led by Maj Preecha Barring; officers from the Phuket Provincial Police led by Lt Col Thamsan Bunsong; officers from the Tourist Police led by Maj Eakachai Siri; and even officers from Provincial Police Region 8 led by Lt Col Sontaya Parnpan and Lt Col Krittidet Khempetch.
The bag-snatch task force tracked the thieves to a rented room in Patong, where the officers closed in and in a co-ordinated operation arrested a 22-year-old Indian national they named as MD Mansur and a 25-year-old Pakistan national they named as Rubeka Gill.
Recovered in making the arrests, as reported by police, were the yellow crocheted bag, the black iPhone 7 plus, one pink purse, Chinese banknotes including two banknotes of one yuan and one banknote of five yuan, an iPhone charger and headphones.
Police also reported seizing as evidence the clothes the suspects wore while committing the theft, namely a black-white shirt and a grey pair of shorts, a red-and-white chequered cloth, a black item of women’s clothing and a blue shirt.
Officers also seized the red-black Honda Click motorbike used to flee the scene.
The couple were both charged for committing theft as a group.
Also, as officials had found that the couple had also overstayed in the country, the couple were also each charged with staying in the country illegally.
The couple confessed to the charges, said police.