Pattaya’s Tourist Police assisted a Finnish Tourist early on Monday Morning after the officers witnessed a gang of pickpockets at work on Walking Street in South Pattaya, the Pattaya One reports.
On Monday (Jan 4) afternoon at the Tourist Police Station, Police Colonel Prapot, Superintendent of Tourist Police Region 2, led a press conference to announce the arrest of two adults and two children who were spotted just before 5am on Walking Street surrounding the Finnish Tourist, Mr. Timo Antero Virkkala aged 66. The group was trying to sell flower garlands to Virkalaon on the street.
Officers decided to observe the group before approaching them and witnessed the gang who used one of their members to distract Mr. Virkkala while another removed a wallet containing 780 Baht and a mobile phone from his trouser pocket. Police then moved in and detained Khun Chang aged 32, Khun Mantanna aged 24, a boy aged 12 and a girl aged 14.
A check on Khun Chang, whose regular job was to sell flowers on Walking Street, revealed he had recently been released from prison after serving a 2 year sentence for theft offenses. He claimed he had a child aged 4 months and needed to steal from foreigners so he could provide for his child. Due to his recent prison release officers did not believe the story and all four were charged with theft.
Source: Pattaya One
