A car seller was arrested for stealing back vehicles he sold and then reselling them, police said Tuesday.
Monthon Ngarmapichon, 25, was stopped on Monday night by a combined team of Bang Rak and Crime Suppression Division officers while driving a white Mazda RX8 in the Bang Rak area.
The arrest came after a man complained to police that he bought a Mazda from Mr Monthon for 450,000 baht last month only to have it stolen later in Samut Sakhon province. CSD police found the car in Mr Monthon's possession and sought an arrest warrant, said Pol Lt Col Boonlua Padungtin, deputy chief of CSD's Sub-Division 1.
The suspect allegedly confessed that he had sold several cars assembled from used parts or seized by pawnshops and auto-finance companies, then stolen them back. He confessed he duplicated the car keys and installed vehicle-tracking devices to facilitate his thefts.
Pol Lt Col Boonlua said Mr Monthon refused to step out of his car when police stopped him, remaining inside with his girlfriend for about an hour. He was later tested positive for crystal methamphetamines, he said.
Police seized a Mazda RX8 which Mr Boonlua allegedly sold to a man and then stole it. (Photo by Wassayos Ngamkham)