Warrants to be issued for 3 jewellery suspects as another to turn self in
Sarayuth Ritchainuwat, the elusive suspect in Monday’s theft of 197.96 million yen (Bt58.58 million) from employees of a Bangkok jewellery exporter contacted police to arrange his surrender on Friday afternoon, city police deputy chief Pol Maj-General Sompong Chingduang said.
Police would soon issue arrest warrants for three more individuals who allegedly aided the suspects, Sompong said in the morning as he led a police team to re-enact the crime at three Bangkok locations with the five suspects already in custody.
Suspects Narongchai Sawasdiphol, 32, Chawalit Charoenpol, 31, Surasak Srithawong, 35, Pongsak Pitasiripan, 31, and Krissada Atthawet, 30, were brought to the condominium to re-enact the crime at the Ratchada Pavilion condominium's fifth floor parking lot where the robbery took place, the intersection near the head office of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand in Huay Kwang district where they dumped the stolen pickup truck, and the Royal City Avenue’s (RCA) underground parking lot where they regrouped before separately headed in different directions.
Sompong said the suspects have told police that they would each get a Bt500,000 share.
The robbery of cash and a pickup truck from two employees who were on the way to deliver cash to gold and jewellery exporter Pattharit Taerattanachai’s on Monday night turned out to be an inside job.
Narongchai, who had been employed by Pattharit to carry the money from Japan, was the first to be arrested on Wednesday night and confessed to having planned the robbery with his brother-in-law Natthapong Thanyatoon, 33, who remains at large.
Two other suspects also worked for Pattharit, while Chawalit and Surasak were former employees.
Natthapong’s friend Sarayuth served as the alleged getaway driver and the person who rented a room at the condominium where the heist took place. Greed and debt issues were cited as robbery motives.