Tourist police network targets airport thieves
The Tourist Police Division has launched a group chat network to issue alerts about crimes targeting passengers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, division chief Pol Maj-General Prasert Ngernyuang told the press conference on Wednesday.
The “Ta Sapparot” (“having ‘eyes’ in all angles like a pineapple”) network comprises police, tourism and airport officials, and taxi drivers. Prasert said that incidents of crime or suspicious activity reported over the network’s Line chat group would be investigated in a timely manner.
He said criminals were applying new tricks to take advantage of tourists, such as disguising themselves as travellers to steal other passengers’ valuables on-board planes, or stealing expensive-looking luggage from the baggage carousel. There were also criminals targeting group tours and people who were about to board flights back to their home countries and therefore had no time to file a police complaint.
These thefts took place at railway stations on the way to the airport, in the terminal, or at last-stop attractions popular with tourists.
Prasert said police tried to gather evidence to make arrests for all such cases and had so far succeeded in many cases and contacted the damaged tourists accordingly.