BANGKOK — Police have arrested two men suspected of being part of a gang that staged a violent robbery involving a fake cryptocurrency deal at a Bangkok shopping mall, seizing 3.4 million baht in cash from unsuspecting victims.
Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, announced on Tuesday that officers apprehended the suspects, identified only as Sherpat, 25, and Nana, 31, during a raid at a hotel in Lat Lum Kaeo district of Pathum Thani province around 1 a.m.
Authorities recovered 1.9 million baht in cash from the suspects’ hotel room. Investigators believe the remaining cash is in the possession of five other gang members still at large.
Deceptive Cryptocurrency Deals
Police said the suspects lured three victims into a meeting under the pretense of exchanging cryptocurrency. According to investigators, the group had previously sold cryptocurrency to the victims twice without incident, involving transactions worth 200,000 and 300,000 baht, respectively.
“Because the earlier deals went smoothly, the victims trusted the suspects and agreed to a much larger transaction this time,” said Pol Lt Gen Sayam.
The two parties arranged to meet on Monday evening at a coffee shop inside Central Ladprao shopping mall in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district. From there, the victims were persuaded to follow the suspects to a car parked in the shopping mall’s parking building.
Robbed at Knifepoint
Once inside the vehicle, other gang members suddenly appeared, threatening the victims with knives. One victim told police the robbers also claimed to be armed with firearms. The robbery took place at approximately 7:44 p.m.
After grabbing the cash, the gang fled the scene in a silver Honda Civic with a license plate registered in Nakhon Sawan province.
Criminal Backgrounds and Ongoing Search
Police revealed that the suspects have long criminal records, including theft, robbery, drug offences, and extortion. Investigators believe the gang members became acquainted through drug connections and frequently shared rented accommodations.
Authorities are now searching for the five remaining suspects, who are all men aged between 26 and 43 years. Police have identified the group’s alleged ringleader as Worawat, also known as “Suea Poon,” who is 43 years old.
Pol Lt Gen Sayam urged the public to exercise caution when dealing in cryptocurrency, advising that such transactions should only be conducted through licensed and regulated exchanges.
“The gang contacted the victims via Facebook,” he noted. “People must be careful and avoid private cash transactions with strangers, even if previous dealings appeared legitimate.”
