BURI RAM: A 22-year-old man was arrested in Muang district of this northeastern province on Tuesday for allegedly stealing gold ornaments worth about 2 million baht from a gold shop at a local department store on the night of Dec 28.
Prawit Chaikheenee was arrested in his car on Buri Ram-Nang Rong Road in tambon Ban Bua while trying to escape from the province.
Police said they found several stolen gold ornaments in the car as well as two guns and a quantity of methamphetamine.
The suspect confessed to the crime, police said. He was brought to the Buri Ram police headquarters for further interrogation. Police believed the suspect may have had an accomplice because he knew the numbers to open the combination lock on the gold shop's safe.
Mr Prawit was suspected of entering through the roof of Big C superstore's Buri Ram branch in tambon Isan of Muang district at about 3am on Dec 28. He used a rope to lower himself to the floor and then opened the safe of Yaowarat Sinthawee gold shop.
He made off with about 100 baht weight (about 1.5 kilogrammes) of gold necklaces, rings and bracelets worth about 2 million baht.