Bike thief caught hiding in laundry shaft

Bike thief caught hiding in laundry shaft

Anirut Panchuay (left) is arrested by plainclothes police with a stolen motorcycle in Hat Yai district of Songkhla on Sunday night. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)
Anirut Panchuay (left) is arrested by plainclothes police with a stolen motorcycle in Hat Yai district of Songkhla on Sunday night. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA: A young man was arrested after allegedly stealing a motorcycle and then riding it to see a friend - who happened to live in the same building as the motorbike's owner.

The owner arrived home after reporting it stolen, recognised the bike parked outside and immediately called police. 

Pol Capt Sarayut Angsupanich, deputy commander of the Hat Yai vehicle theft suppression unit, identified the suspect as Anirut Panchuay, alias Jo, 23.

He said Mr Anirut is accused of stealing a Honda motorcycle from in front of a skincare shop on Rat Yindee road in Hat Yai about 8pm on Sunday. He drove the motorcycle to see his friend at a housing apartment in Hat Yai Municipality.

The owner of the stolen motorcycle was a 27-year-old woman who happened to live in the same apartment complex. After reporting her motorcycle missing, she returned to her apartment about 11pm. She was amazed to see her motorcycle parked in front of Building No 9. She called the police.

Police arrived and waited. Mr Anirut emerged from the building, saw the police and bolted back inside. He went up to the fifth floor, where he slipped into the shaft used for dropping clothes down to the laundry. Police found him hiding inside the shaft. 

After questioning Mr Anirut at the station, police retrieved two more motorcycles - one stolen from the parking lot of a hotel on Rat Uthit road on Jan 12 and the other from Yanyong market on Jan 13.

He also tested positive for methamphetamine use.

Police said Mr Anirut had a prior record. He had been arrested five times, once for theft and  four times for drugs. He was recently released from a drug rehabilitation centre, before allegedly stealing motorcycles on Jan 12, 13 and 17.

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