Double trouble for thief arrested in Phuket Town

PHUKET: A Phuket man who stole a motorbike and Buddhist artifacts, in two separate crimes, in order to buy drugs was arrested yesterday by Phuket City police.

Following a June 14 complaint by a Ms Sopee Koodkrai, 51, that her motorbike had been stolen in front of her house in Phuket Town, the police located CCTV footage showing a male suspect who looked to be about 30 years old.

The next day, police received a report from a Mr Chusak Jomboon that someone had that day stolen two Luang Phor Chaem statues from his house. CCTV footage showed the suspect in that crime to be the same as the one who had stolen the motorbike.

Mr Chusak said the door to his house was open at the time of the theft as he had just walked behind the house, and that when he went back inside the statues were gone.

“We hunted for the suspect and found a man named Boonreuk Somnam, 36, who lives on Surin Rd in town. But when we went there to question him, a relative in the house said he was not there. So we instructed the relative to bring Mr Boonreuk to us when he returned home,” Capt Anirut Tongpeung of Phuket City Police told the Gazette.

Yesterday (June 22), Mr Boonreuk appeared in the Phuket City police station.

“The suspect confessed to both crimes, saying he had committed them because he had no job and no money. He said he got 4,000 baht for the statues and that he had bought drugs with that money.

“The motorbike and the statues have now been returned to their owners. Boonreuk has been charged with theft,” Capt Anirut said.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong