Three people were arrested for allegedly stealing an ATM machine holding more than two million baht in Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district, police said.
Police load an ATM machine into a pickup truck after it was recovered following its theft in Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani yesterday. Three men have been arrested for stealing the machine, belonging to Krung Thai Bank and containing more than two million baht in cash. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
Danai Palakul, 20, was apprehended in a black sedan at a checkpoint on Leap Khlong 7 Road on Monday morning, Thanyaburi provincial police said.
Police found a bag in the car containing tools and ropes which they say were used in the robbery.
Mr Danai admitted stealing Krung Thai Bank's ATM on Leap Khlong 7 Road when he was taken to Provincial Police Region 1 for questioning, a police investigator said. Police arrested Mr Danai about 10km from the crime scene.
Pol Lt Col Boonruang Phanthanu said officers were alerted to the theft by a nearby resident.
Officers at the scene found evidence to suggest the ATM had been tied and pulled away from the wall using a rope.
The ATM was located in front of an abandoned restaurant.
Nutthapon Weanthong, a Krung Thai Bank technician, said an alarm message was sent from the machine at 3.36am.
Mr Danai also implicated two other suspects, police said.
Wiwattana Saharat, 22, and a 16-year-old were arrested yesterday afternoon at a house on Soi 36 off Pracha Rat Sai 1 in the Tao Pun area.
Police said they confiscated a pickup truck with a Bangkok licence plate and the stolen ATM machine along with 2,057,800 baht in the machine.
The three admitted they had tried and failed three times in the past to steal ATM machines, police said.
Officers also found a stolen sedan and a phone card vending machine at the house.
They are carrying out an investigation to find out if more people were involved in the robbery.