Leader of gun heist gang captured, says he wanted to sell stolen arms in China

Zheng, 30, who is wanted for attempted armed robbery, attempted murder, carrying weapons to a public place and having communication radios without permission, was nabbed in Nakhon Sawan province following a tip-off by people who had spotted him at Hua Lamphong Train Station on Friday night. He was nabbed while travelling on a Chiang Mai-bound train at 2.30am yesterday. He reportedly wanted to flee the country via the northern border. 

The investigation so far has not found any Thai accomplice, but police yesterday arrested a Chinese businessman, Su Su, 30, in Phuket. Zheng had identified him as the person who had bought him the walkie-talkies used in the crime, Sanit said following a five-hour interrogation of Zheng.

As Su reportedly had business in Chiang Mai and Phuket, police suspected the guns might have been intended for use to settle business conflicts, a source said.

The police are looking for the walkie-talkies in Klong Phadung Krung Kasem section near the Hua Lamphong station where Zheng claimed to have thrown them.

Sanit said Zheng had also confessed to be the gang leader and to have instructed his deputy, Ma Geng, 34, to find three crewmembers, who were to be paid Bt4,000 each. Zheng told police the three men were unemployed in China so they joined the gang, as they were also promised a vacation trip in Phuket afterwards. He said Zheng had revealed he wanted to rob at least 10 guns for resale in China online, as one gun could fetch up to Bt500,000.

An informed source said Zheng’s testimony was at odds with the revelations of his three captured gang members that the firearms were for future robberies in Chiang Mai, Phuket and Chon Buri’s Pattaya City. The robbers were armed with BB guns in the Bangkok attempt robbery. Police yesterday found that the two motorcycles they had used for the robbery attempt were rented from Pattaya and had stolen licence plates, the source reported.

Sanit said the aim of the gang was to rob guns and there was no intention to kill anyone, or any connection with politics. Zheng would be brought for crime re-enactment today.

National police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda, who questioned Zheng after his arrest, said the crime was not a terrorist act and had no connection with Uighurs.

Suwapan Tanyuwattana, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, said the attempted gun robbery was a criminal act and not related to national security.

The post-robbery gunfight with police on Friday led to the death of suspect Wu Xingjun, while the other three – Geng, Sun Junwei, 27, and Li Kunpeng, 26 – were arrested on Friday. After taking the two captured suspects to re-enact the crime at the gun shop, Inter Arms, in Wang Burapha yesterday morning while Sun remained in hospital, police brought them to Ratchadapisek Criminal Court to seek their custody for 12 days. Police objected to their release on bail citing flight risk.