A German tourist wanted for allegedly stealing a foreign passenger’s luggage at Suvarnabhumi airport has been caught at a border checkpoint in Trat province.
Michael Joerg, 39, was apprehended at Ban Hat Lek border checkpoint in Trat on Saturday, said Suvarnabhumi deputy general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn during a media conference on Tuesday.
The arrest followed a complaint by a female passenger travelling from the UK that her luggage was not found at the conveyor's belt at the airport on Dec 13.
Airport police examined footage of closed-circuit television cameras which showed a male foreigner taking the victim’s luggage from the conveyor's belt before leaving the airport by taxi.
Police began the investigation and found the identity of the man, who was subsequently caught at Ban Hat Lek checkpoint before being taken to the airport.
According to police, Mr Joerg confessed to having stolen the luggage. He told police that he had stolen luggage at Suvarnhabumi airport on several occasions and sold stolen items before leaving the country via border checkpoints. He then re-entered the country to commit the thefts.
The suspect was charged with theft at the airport. The offence carried a jail term of 1-5 years in jail and/or a fine of 20,000-100,000 baht.
Footage shows a German suspect stealing luggage of another passenger from a conveyor's belt at Suvarnabhumi airport.
A female passenger whose luggage is stolen (left) and a German suspect (right). (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)