A 18-year-old who claimed men wearing police jackets robbed him of 80,000 baht at an ATM in Bangkok late on Monday night has been arrested for laying a false complaint.
After intense questioning, Sarawut Puengprasob had confessed he made up the story, Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
The teenager told police he wanted the 80,300 baht belonging to his sister-in-law for his own use, to finance his lifestyle and pay his debts.
Earlier, Sarawut lodged a complaint at Kannayao police station, claiming that two men, wearing black jackets bearing the word “police’’ showed up as he was about to deposit the money in an ATM at Thanommit 88 market in Tha Raeng area about 11.30pm on Monday. They had asked him where the money came from.
According to Sarawut, he told told them the money belonged to his elder sister, who had asked him to deposit it in her account.
The two men did not believe him and took him to a waiting car, where two other men were inside. Those men kept asking the same question. They later fled with his money, after one of them punched him and he was forced out of the vehicle, according to his complaint.
Police handling the case had examined footage of closed circuit television cameras in the area and along the supposed escape route and found no evidence of any such incident, said Pol Lt Gen Sanit.
Security guards working in the area also said there was no robbery that night.
The Bangkok police chief said the youth was charged with filing a false complaint and held at Kannayao police station for legal action.