Bangkok, Thailand — A Malaysian man was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the armed robbery of a gold shop in Hat Yai that resulted in the theft of jewellery worth approximately 7 million baht.
The arrest of Yee Boon Long, 61, took place at 5:30 p.m. at the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok (Sai Tai Mai) in Taling Chan district, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of the Central Investigation Bureau. However, details regarding the arrest were not disclosed as the suspect was taken for further questioning at the Crime Suppression Division.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Songkhla Provincial Court approved an arrest warrant for Yee, and the authorities had previously offered a reward of up to 100,000 baht for information leading to his capture.
The robbery occurred at the Thai Udom 2 gold shop on Montri Road in central Hat Yai at around 11:55 a.m. Yee, unmasked and armed, entered the shop, threatened the staff, and stole 138 baht-weight (approximately 2.1 kilograms) of gold jewellery. He fled the scene immediately after the theft.
Pol Lt Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, confirmed that investigators identified Yee, a Malaysian national, and obtained the arrest warrant after a thorough investigation.
Yee faces several charges, including armed robbery, using a vehicle to commit the offense, and possessing a firearm without permission. Police also revealed that Yee had used several aliases, including his Thai name, Anucha Sae Yeo. This suspect had previously robbed a gold shop in Hat Yai on January 6, 2017, for which he served a prison sentence. He was released on September 22, 2023, and deported to Malaysia through the Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla.
Following his arrest, police have officially called off their manhunt for Yee.
