A former police officer is in custody after being chased down by the owner of a gold shop following a robbery in Muang district of Phatthalung on Thursday morning.
Police rushed to the Yaowarat gold shop at the municipal market after being alerted at about 11:30 AM. The man was already being detained when the officers arrived.
The suspect, identified only as James, 32, had been based in the deep South and was sacked from the police force.
Security camera footage from the shop showed a lone man, wearing a full-face helmet and carrying a gun, walking into the shop. He suddenly used a hammer to break a showcase and swept up some gold chains. The owner noticed the gun was fake and immediately gave chase, managing to subdue the robber.
Reports indicate that the suspect had ridden a motorcycle to survey the area before parking it at a temple near the gold shop. A car had been standing by to pick him up after the robbery, police said.
(Image from Phatthalung police video)
