Cops, bank clerk in B3.5m robbery

Cops, bank clerk in B3.5m robbery

Three police officers and a bank employee have been arrested and charged with robbing a Lao lumber trader of 3.5 million baht cash.


                          

                      The police show the recovered money and the accused robbers. (Photo by Pattanapong Sripeachai)

Pol Col Tinnarat Petchpansri, deputy commander of Nakhon Phanom police, said on Thursday that Pol Sen Sgt Maj Chadawut Nontkhamwong, Pol Sgt Maj Ekachai Singthongchai, Pol Sen Sgt Maj Jamnong Raksa, Pol Col Narong Boonsinchai and Phuvit Matlublao, an employee of Kasikornbank, Nakhon Phanom branch, were arrested.

Pol Col Tinnarat said they are all suspects in the robbery of Sornchai Sriharaj, 37, a Lao man who works for a sawmill in Laos.

The victim told police he was driving his pickup truck on Wednesday on the way back to Laos after having withdrawn 3.5 million baht in cash from a Thai bank, when a vehicle carrying three men dressed like police officers cut in front of him and forced him to a stop on a road in Nakhon Phanom province.

They grabbed him from his vehicle, threw him inside their car and took the bag containing the money. They later dumped him on a lonely roadside in Na Rat Khwai of Muang district, Mr Sornchai said.

He said the robbers threatened him, warning him not to inform the police or they would return and take his life. The men also took his cellphone. Mr Sornchai was not hurt.

Pol Col Tinnarat said the arrested policemen had confessed to the crime, saying they had help from Mr Pavit,  who had seen the victim making frequent withdrawals of cash, usually 2-3 million baht each time.

They suspected Mr Sornchai was involved in illegal business and would not report to the police if the cash was stolen, so they planned the robbery together.

All of the money was recovered during the arrests.

Pol Col Tinnarat said Mr Sornchai explained he opted to carry  large amounts of cash for his customers' convenience when doing cross border lumber transactions.

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