Thai police nab M'sian gang leader over robbery in Hatyai

Thai police have arrested a Malaysian man believed to be a gang leader wanted by them for a goldsmith shop robbery in Hatyai on Jan 6.

Songkla Provincial Police Investigation Division chief Col Sakda Jarengkul said the 53-year-old man was arrested by the police three days ago at his rented house in Hatyai.

"On Jan 6, armed with a pistol, he is believed to have robbed a goldsmith shop in Jalan Montree, Hatyai, of 1.7kg of jewellery valued at 2.3 million Baht (about RM290,000)," he said to reporters.

A police inspection of the suspect's rented house showed up jewellery, 127,400 Baht (RM16,000), a 9mm pistol, 50 rounds of ammunition, clothes, and a motorcycle believed to have been used in the robbery.

Sakda said the man also had criminal records in Malaysia and Thailand, and is believed to have been involved in at least 10 cases of robbery and murder in the two countries.

He is also believed to have been involved in the murder of two Thai nationals in Songkla in 2014.

"Ten years ago, he is believed to have been involved in the robbery at a goldsmith shop in Butterworth of jewellery valued at 50 million Baht (RM6.4 million)," he said.

After the robbery, he fled to Thailand and went into hiding in Chiang Mai for 10 years with the use of a false identity he had bought for 250,000 Baht (RM32,000).

The man was only involved in big robberies, he said.

Sakda said the man would be charged for robbery, possession of firearms and ammunition as well as murder. -- Bernama