Two Thai men were arrested for posing as police officers to rob Vietnamese tourists in Bangkok. The incident occurred on November 20 at a restaurant in the capital.
Pol Maj Gen Noppasin Poolsawat, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, reported that three perpetrators, dressed in bulletproof vests and police jackets, displayed fake police ID cards and carried walkie-talkies and guns. They falsely accused the tourists of using their rented car to transport drugs and demanded to search the vehicle.
During the search, the suspects examined the tourists’ passports and bags, which contained 120,000 baht in cash. One of the suspects seized the cash and car keys while the others stood guard, one of them armed with a gun. The robbers then fled with the victims’ car and money.
The tourists reported the robbery to a Thai friend, who took them to Lat Phrao police station to file a complaint. Police later arrested Thitiphong Phromcharoen and Phongsaphat Tanchan, both of whom have extensive criminal backgrounds.
The third suspect, Kittichai Owatsiriwong, also connected to theft, drug use, and gambling, remains at large. Investigations are ongoing.