Car theft is not a new crime and many unlucky owners have had vehicles stolen and resold or stripped down for spare parts. Some stolen vehicles are even smuggled to neighbouring countries. But a new kind of car theft, targeting car rental firms instead of individuals, is on the rise.
Instead of risking a car heist in the streets, members of a new car theft gang simply walk into a car rental company and drive off with the car of their choice.
Pol Lt Col Kanathud Musiganont, deputy chief investigator of Huai Khwang police, initially thought the slew of rental car thefts was just like any other car robbery, but later realised the operation was more sophisticated and possibly linked to a transnational criminal ring operating illegal car trades in neighbouring countries.
Kanathud: Probing cross-border links
More than 70 suspected stolen cars have been seized from the gang so far and police are investigating the crew's operations for evidence to identify and arrest more suspects.
The investigation began on March 10 when Siwaporn Tangrungruangyu, who owns a small rental car business, lodged a complaint at Huai Khwang station saying a man named Kittiphat Smitiwiwan, 27, disappeared with the three cars she had rented out to him.
The man failed to return the cars and using GPS, she tracked their location to an unnamed used-car shop on Thiam Ruam Mit Road in the same district.
Police and military officers raided the shop and found Ms Siwaporn's three cars. Three men and one woman were arrested: Piyawat Ketnak, 35, Suriyawut Namphuttha, 28, and Kwangjoeng Saejao, 20, and Ms Phurita Manimas, 23.
Police also seized five GPS devices ripped out from stolen cars and 689,900 baht in cash.
Sixteen other cars suspected of being stolen were also seized. Police found that eight had already been reported stolen by other car rental companies.
Mr Piyawat, one of the detained suspects, told police Mr Kittiphat hired him to remove the GPS devices in the cars. Previously he had removed 16 GPS devices and was paid 1,500 baht per car.
Ms Phurita, meanwhile, said she was Mr Kittiphat's girlfriend but had not known the cars were stolen.
He had told her he planned to open his own used car shop one day but was now working for his friend, Karan Daosue, 27, the owner of the raided shop.
During police questioning, the suspects revealed they used a warehouse on Soi Nuan Chan 10 in Bung Kum district to store vehicles. Upon investigation, police found 55 more suspected stolen cars.
Police also identified more alleged gang members, including Naphaphach Phanphermcharoenkij, 35, Thanathip Phanphermcharoenkij, 42, and Laksak Kaeokannet, 37.
The three allegedly worked for Mr Kittiphat and are purported to have stolen cars for him from the car rental shops.
Mr Kittiphat and Mr Karan were the financiers of the gang, while another suspect named Sornram Wiang-ngoen managed the crew's money.
All new suspects turned themselves in last week. They, along with the first four suspects, were charged with theft and released on bail.
Twenty-five of the seized vehicles were confirmed as stolen, while the rest are pending verification, said Pol Lt Col Kanathud.
The gang earned money through vehicle theft by demanding payment from the rental companies in exchange for the return of the cars, swapping the licence plates of the stolen cars with other cars and reselling them to used-car buyers, or sending stolen cars to Malaysia with the help of criminal counterparts there.
Investigations are still underway but car rental firms can rest a little easier now that police are aware of the new car theft tactic, though they would be well-advised to take a closer look at their customers.
Contact Crime Track: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th