PHUKET — A Frenchman who allegedly stole a motorbike, disassembled it and then built a new bike from the parts and those of another bike — and sold the “new” bike over Facebook — was arrested Tuesday.
Police are now searching for a Thai woman seen on CCTV footage helping him to steal the motorbike, the Phuket News reported.
Mathieu Alfano watches as police inspect parts of a stolen bike he allegedly dumped. (Phuket News photo)
Kathu police led by Lt Col Kunadet Na Nongkai searched the house rented by Mathieu Alfano, 28, on Phrabaramee Soi 4 in Patong. They found enough motorbike parts to give them the evidence they needed to arrest him.
Police say Mr Alfano stole the Honda PCX 150 parked by a tenant outside an apartment building in Nanai Road where Mr Alfano had lived until Nov 28.
Mr Alfano then took the stolen bike apart and used the components and some from another PCX bike to create a new one.
Finally, he posted the chopped motorbike for sale on the Phuket Motorbike and Cars Facebook page, police alleged. It was bought by a foreigner for 40,000 baht.
He then allegedly dumped the remaining parts of the bike in Hasip Pi Rd. The parts were found by a local resident who reported his find to police.
Once police were sure that the rejected components were part of the bike reported stolen from Nanai Road, they checked CCTV footage and saw a foreign man and a Thai woman stealing the bike on Dec 3.
Police canvassed people living in the area, who identified the foreigner as Mr Alfano.
Police also claimed that the day after leaving the Nanai apartment, Mr Alfano and the woman returned and stole a microwave and an electric frying pan from inside the apartment they had just vacated, then four days later returned for the Honda PCX.
Police believe that this was not the first time Mr Alfano had stolen a motorbike and believe he may have been working as part of a motorbike chopping gang.
He is being questioned to see whether this is the case.