Robbery done to ‘fund revenge plot’

Songkhla: A transgender woman was detained yesterday for robbing a metal store in the Sadao district, alleging that she needed the money to destroy an ex-assistant who had allegedly conspired with him to defraud her of significant sums of money.

Preecha Samankhoon, also known as Thian, a 20-year-old Phangnga local, was detained by police in the wee hours of yesterday in an apartment building in downtown Hat Yai. Her hands was seized along with eight golden necklaces that had been stolen.

The trans woman admitted to the police during questioning that she had turned to assault because she was in desperate need of money to purchase a firearm. She intended to use the tool to murder a former staffer who supposedly worked with her ex-boyfriend to defraud her of hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

On Thursday night, a lone robber committed an act at the Yaowarat Krungthep silver store at Lotus ‘ shopping center in Sadao, which led to the arrest.

The thief stole eight golden necklaces worth a total of approximately 800,000 baht each, each weighing 24 pounds of gold, and rode off on his motorcycle.

According to Pol Lt Col Pichai Khunthongkaew, analysis chief at Sadao place, three store employees, all ladies, were unharmed but appeared visibly terrified.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV ) footage revealed the robber entering the store brandishing a knife and posing as an elderly woman with face mask.

She jumped across the desk and quickly grabbed golden earrings from the promote after telling the staff to stay down. Only one moment was spent on the assault.

Officers started using CCTV to find the suspect and learned information about her whereabouts, confirming her trans identity.