Two Thai men have been arrested for posing as police to rob Vietnamese tourists in Bangkok.
The attempted robbery occurred at a restaurant in the capital on Nov 20, according to Pol Maj Gen Noppasin Poolsawat, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Three perpetrators, dressed as police in bulletproof vests and jackets, displayed police ID cards and carried walkie-talkies and guns.
They falsely accused the tourists of using their car to transport drugs and demanded to search the vehicle.
During the search, the suspects examined the tourists’ passports and bags, which contained 120,000 baht in cash.
One seized their belongings and took the car keys, while the other two stood guard, one holding a gun.
The suspects fled with the victims’ rented car and cash.
The tourists reported the robbery to a Thai friend, who took them to the Lat Phrao police station to file a complaint.
Police later apprehended Thitiphong Phromcharoen and Phongsaphat Tanchan, both of whom have extensive criminal histories, investigators said.
The third suspect, identified as Kittichai Owatsiriwong, also linked to theft, drug use and gambling, remains at large.