Serial laundromat thief arrested in Phuket
PHUKET police arrested a suspect today (May 11) on charges of regularly stealing coins from washing machine coin boxes at as many as 10 laundromats on resort island, Matichon newspaper said.
Pol. Lt. Col. Nath Promthep, chief of Muang Phuket police station said police officers arrested Choke Sudin, 36, of Phang Nga province and also seized his motorcycle and the equipment he used in these burglaries at Sammakhee Service laundromat near Daily Hut restaurant within Super Cheap store on Thepkasattri Road after a tip off that a theft was underway.
Pol. Lt. Col. Nath added that Choke admitted to stealing from laundromats many times.
Police had already found out that the suspect usually acted alone and hit the laundromats from around 1 to 3 a.m. particularly those with washing machines placed outside the house or in a building that is easy to enter. He usually used cutting pliers to break open the coin boxes before taking off with the coin bags.
CAPTIONS:
Top: The laundromat theft suspect is squatting behind his motorcycle early this morning. Photo: Matichon
Inset: CCTV image of a thief strolling into a laundromat in the middle of the night. Photo: Matichon