Police in Bang Lamung arrested three men accused of stealing a 2.2-million-baht speedboat, recovering the vessel and a pickup truck used in the alleged crime.
The arrests were made yesterday, September 16, at 5pm by officers from Bang Lamung Police Station, led by Superintendent Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations Police Major Kornphong Sukvisith, and Investigation Inspector Police Captain Wutthipong Kasa. The suspects were identified as 45 year old Songyot, 45 year old Natthawut, and 43 year old Jakraphong, all reportedly connected to the speedboat tourism business.
Police seized a 37-foot speedboat fitted with twin engines and a bronze Toyota pickup truck believed to have been used in the theft. The boat, worth an estimated 2.2 million baht, had been reported stolen by the owner of a recycling factory in Nong Pla Lai on September 12.
The factory owner told officers the theft occurred on August 25 at around 5.35am when three men used the pickup to tow the vessel away. He suspected those responsible were workers from the speedboat industry who had previously tried to buy the boat but removed it before any agreement was finalised.
Following an investigation, officers traced the vessel to a boat repair shop in Soi Khao Noi, where it was being repainted. The shop owner cooperated with the police, explaining that the men who brought it in claimed it had been repossessed to settle a debt and insisted they were unaware it had been stolen.
Armed with this information, police tracked down the three suspects. Natthawut, identified as a key figure, denied involvement, arguing the group had reached an agreement to sell the vessel after talks with the factory owner. He requested to present his side in court.
Investigators, however, remain unconvinced. CCTV footage reportedly shows the men towing the speedboat from the factory, forming part of the evidence against them. The trio have been charged with theft and handed over to investigators for further proceedings, reported The Pattaya News.
Police say they are continuing to compile evidence to ensure the case moves forward to prosecution. The arrest has drawn attention in Bang Lamung, given the suspects’ links to the tourism speedboat trade and the vessel’s high value.
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