SAMUT PRAKAN - Three Colombian nationals - two men and one woman - have been arrested for a string of burglaries at luxury houses in Samut Prakan and nearby provinces.
Alexandro Giovan Cuellar Pulido, Henrry Yeferson Delgado Bogota and Ms Maricela Cifuentes Hernandez were wanted on arrest warrants issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court on Wednesday for collusion in theft, Pol Maj Gen Wallop Araemlar, chief of Samut Prakan police, said during a press conference on Friday.
The suspects were apprehended in Pathum Thani province on Wednesday. Seized from them were a Toyota Vios with Chon Buri licence plates, two Prachuap Khiri Khan licence plates, burglary tools, beanie hats, banknotes worth 32,700 baht, banknotes in foreign currencies and other 100 items.
Police arrest three Colombian nationals on charges of theft. (Photo supplied / Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
Pol Col Chottiwat Luangwilai, deputy Samut Prakan police chief, said the arrests followed a report of a home break-in at a luxury housing estate in tambon Bang Muang of Muang district, Samut Prakan, around 10.45pm on Aug 29.
Police inspected the scene and found that a safe in a bedroom on the second floor of the house had been forced open. Some 200,000 baht in cash, 500 US dollars, 50,000 rupees, gold necklaces, gold rings and a diamond-studded necklace worth about 500,000 baht were stolen, according to Pol Col Chottiwat.
Security camera footage from the housing estate showed that the Colombian gang had broken into another house that same night before entering the house in question. On Sept 2, the same gang had also broken into two other houses in an area under the jurisdiction of Bang Kaew police station in Samut Prakan.
This prompted the police to launch an investigation that led to the identification of the three Colombian suspects involved in the home break-ins.
Police announce the arrest of the three suspects during a media briefing on Friday. (Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
The suspects had been staying in a rented house in Chonburi province. They had travelled from this eastern province to stage burglaries in Samut Prakan and other nearby provinces before returning to Chonburi.
On Wednesday, investigators learned that the gang was planning another home break-in in Pathum Thani province. The officers monitored their movements and subsequently managed to arrest them with burglary tools and other items. All were handed over to police investigators at Muang police station in Samut Prakan.
Police display a poster detailing the arrest of the three suspects. (Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)