Chinese Burglary Gang Arrested in Thailand
Pak Kret police have arrested four Chinese nationals accused of breaking into luxury homes and stealing valuables worth at least 1.6 million baht from safes.
The arrests followed a burglary reported on July 30 by Canadian resident Julie Lynne Beeyon, 49, who lives in Nichada Thani village, a high-end housing estate in Nonthaburi. Beeyon told investigators that intruders entered her home while she was away, stealing gold jewellery, a Rolex watch, earrings, and important documents.
Police identified the gang’s alleged leader as 35-year-old Liu Laixiang. Investigators linked the crime to a Chinese burglary ring operating in the area and obtained arrest warrants. On Tuesday morning, at about 10:30 a.m., officers from Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, and Provincial Police Region 1 raided a rented house in Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district, detaining all four suspects.
During the raid, police seized several items believed to be linked to the burglaries, including three motorcycles, 20,000 baht in cash, 205 foreign banknotes, eight mobile phones, two Tag Heuer watches, and a set of burglary tools. Officers believe the gang used motorcycles to scout affluent neighbourhoods, identifying unoccupied homes before breaking in and removing safes or high-value goods.
According to police, the group had also recently targeted another luxury home in the same village belonging to an American woman. In that case, they were unable to open the large, heavy safe inside the property and fled empty-handed.
Investigators suspect the gang was responsible for other similar burglaries in the area. Police records show that Liu had entered Thailand 27 times via Laos and the Nong Khai border checkpoint, suggesting the group may have been operating across borders for some time.
All four suspects denied the charges despite what police describe as strong evidence tying them to the crimes. They now face multiple charges, including nighttime burglary, illegal entry, using a vehicle to aid theft, and possession of stolen property.
The arrests are part of a broader police crackdown on transnational crime in Thailand, with authorities vowing to target foreign criminal networks that exploit the country’s luxury residential areas.
