Vietnamese gang among 60 arrested in Songkran sweep
Tourists lose valuables amid Pattaya festivities
More than 60 foreign nationals have been arrested for either overstaying their visas or entering the country illegally during recent police crackdowns.
According to a police news conference yesterday, officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, Central Investigation Bureau, Immigration Bureau and other agencies had consolidated efforts to jointly apprehend foreigners living unlawfully in the country in 126 locations nationwide.
They said 11 foreigners were charged with overstaying their visas and 51 with illegally entering the country, they said.
Another four were apprehended on other charges, i ncluding a 45-year-old Vietnamese woman caught stealing valuables from other foreigners’ bags.
She was arrested at an apartment in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district, according to officers.
Tran Thi Thu Ha, a Vietnamese national, was found with 13 iPhones, a wallet and
19 foreign banknotes worth 500,000 baht in total, all allegedly stolen from her victims.
Also found in her possession were a cutter and eight blades believed to have been used for cutting open the victims’ bags, according to officers.
Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, said the arrest of Ms Tran was made after officers apprehended three other members of her theft gang from Khao San Road on Monday.
He said various mobile phones and other valuables were seized from the trio and the police probe led to the arrest of Ms Tran, who later confessed to taking care of the items stolen by the gang and selling them to pawn shops.
Ms Tran, he said, is facing charges of illegally entering the country and theft.
The victims of the gang can contact Chana Songkhram Police Station around the clock to help police identify the suspects and recover their stolen items, said Pol Maj Gen Surachate.
Meanwhile in Pattaya, five foreigners have filed police complaints that their valuables were stolen as they took part in water fights to celebrate Songkran Festival on Central Pattaya Road between Soi 7 and 8 on Wednesday night. The complainants include two Hong Kong nationals and one each from Iran, India and Australia.
According to the officers, almost 300,000 baht worth of valuables were stolen from the five victims. Investigations are under way.
Earlier this week, another Vietnamese national and two Cambodians were detained after being caught red-handed while stealing cash and a smartphone from a female victim taking part in Songkran festivities on Khao San Road, Pol Maj Gen Surachate said.
Phung Vinh Loi, 29, from Vietnam and Tuy Ven, 35, and Tuy Chan Thoeun, 32, both from Cambodia, were caught by the boyfriend of the victim and other witnesses.
Seized from the arrested trio were 25 mobile phones, 6,700 baht in cash and other currency notes worth 20,000 baht.