Bangkok police recently arrested a gold shop stick-up artist with a penchant for the high life who had been on the lam since 2008.
When police arrested the 25-year-old thief, Mr. Kittisak “Den” Hitkweaw, in a luxury apartment on Soi Jaransanitwong 40, they found a THB200,000 Patek Phillippe watch amongst other expensive accoutrements. Other items included 245 grams of gold jewelry, expensive electric appliances, a tablet computer, an iPhone, a new black Nissan Teana sedan, a THB5 million condo contract, and a gun with six bullets. Police announced the arrest on May 4, as reported by ThaiRath.
Den confessed that he had committed robberies because he so badly wanted luxury goods and a luxury lifestyle. He said that he had already spent at least THB8 million in the four years that he had been hiding.
Den’s M.O. was to hold up gold shops at gunpoint in disguise.
His first robbery was in Surat Thani, where he made away with THB2.8 million on December 3, 2008. Later he robbed THB1.7 million worth of golf from the Charoen Manee gold shop at Lad Prao Soi 80 in Bangkok in March 25, 2010.
On September 18, 2010 he robbed THB1 million from Hangthong Wangthong gold shop on Lad Prao Soi 1 and shot and wounded an employee. His last stick-up was in Phuket, where he hit the Thanes gold shop for his biggest haul ever: THB5.75 million.
Altogether he managed to steal about THB11 million in gold, before police investigators located and arrested him.
Den is being sent to Phuket for further investigation on the charges of thievery and illegal transportation.
Photos of the thief and his ill-gotten gold can be found on the ThaiRath website.
