PUBLISHED : 13 Dec 2023 at 16:43
The son-in-law of a wealthy orange grower arrested for robbing a gold shop two weeks ago has told police he was in urgent need of money after suffering large losses from stock and cryptocurrency investments.
Police on Wednesday took Thatchaset Chetthawattananukul, 42, for a re-enactment of the gold shop robbery in Chiang Mai’s Fang district.
Thatchaset was arrested at his luxury home in Muang district on Tuesday on a warrant issued by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for armed robbery and illegally carrying a gun in public.
The Yaowarat Krungthep gold shop, in a mall in Fang district, was held up on the evening of Nov 28 by a lone robber with a gun. The thief fled with 88 gold necklaces, about 300 baht weight all told. The robbery took about one minute.
Police tracked the robber’s ecape route through surveillance camera recordings. They searched four locations in Fang and Muang districts before arresting the suspect in a luxury housing estate in tambon San Phee Sua of Muang district on Tuesday, Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai Phongwiwattanachai, chief of Chiang Mai police, said on Wednesday.
The robber had ensured his body and features were fully concealed by his clothing, but he wore brand-name shoes. When arrested, the suspect was wearing the same brand of shoes. Police impounded 1.4 million baht found in the house, along with a gun and a motorcycle.
During questioning, the suspect allegedly confessed he had suffered losses from stock and Bitcoin investments and need money to run his business. This drove him to the robbery.
A source alleged Thatchaset sold about 80 of the stolen necklaces to a Myanmar buyer for an agreed 4 million baht. He had received half of the money, with the balance to come after the gold was sold on.
During the arrest, Mr Thatchaset had tried to shoot himself, but the arresting officers prevented it, the source said.
The suspect is the son-in-law of the wealthy owner of a very large orange farm in Fang district.