Jet ski driver caught stealing Chinese tourist's valuables

Jet ski driver caught stealing Chinese tourist's valuables

Chinese national Zhu Jiang, 28 (centre, with glasses), files a complaint with Pattaya police in Chon Buri after losing valuables worth more than one million baht on a beach on Koh Larn.   (Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
Chinese national Zhu Jiang, 28 (centre, with glasses), files a complaint with Pattaya police in Chon Buri after losing valuables worth more than one million baht on a beach on Koh Larn. (Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)

CHON BURI: A Koh Larn jet ski driver allegedly picked up items worth over one million baht left on a beach by a Chinese tourist while he went swimming - and then refused to return them.

The driver, Rattanapol Sae Oui, 21, and another man, Surasak Intharachot, 50, were apprehended on charges of colluding in theft on Tuesday. 

The arrests came after Zhu Jiang, 28, filed a complaint with Pattaya police at around 1am on Tuesday, saying he lost a waterproof pouch containing valuable items while swimming at Tawaen beach of Ban Koh Larn village in Bang Lamung district on Monday, said Pol Maj Piyapong Ensarn, the Pattaya tourist police chief.

The items included an iPhone X worth about 50,000 baht, a jade necklace worth 600,000 baht and a diamond-studded ring worth 600,000 baht.  

A Chinese tourist points at two suspects charged with stealing his valuables from a beach on Koh Larn in Chon Buri. (Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)

He asked jet ski drivers operating in the area to help find the items, but they were unable to do so, he said. This prompted him to turn to police for help.

Police examined footage of closed-circuit television cameras, and saw a man resembling a local jet ski driver picking up the items. They subsequently arrested the man, identified later as Mr Rattanpol, at Ban Koh Larn village, said Pol Maj Piyapong.

Mr Rattanapol reportedly admitted to taking the items and bringing the diamond-studded ring to Mr Sarasak to sell in Pattaya.

The jet ski driver said he held on to the jade necklace, but threw the iPhone and the waterproof pouch into the sea.

Police then took Mr Sarasak to the shop where he sold the ring, and retrieved it.   

The Chinese national on Tuesday appeared at Pattaya police station to confirm the recovered items were his, while the two suspects were held in police custody for legal action.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (15)