Pattaya Tourist Police apprehended two Indian tourists on their first day in Thailand for allegedly stealing a camera battery and strolling along Walking Street.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyapong Ensan, Chief of Pattaya Tourist Police, and his team arrested two Indian nationals, identified as 29-year-old Abhishek and 28-year-old Akash (surnames withheld).
The arrest followed a complaint filed by 34-year-old Shaik, also from India, at Pattaya Police Station. Shaik reported that his camera battery pack had been stolen at a cannabis shop on Walking Street.
According to Shaik, he placed his camera’s battery pack on a sofa while browsing products in the shop. Three other Indian tourists entered the store shortly afterward. The suspects noticed the battery on the sofa; one reportedly sat on it to conceal it while the other discreetly took the battery and placed it in his bag. The suspects then left the shop and continued to walk along Walking Street.
Pattaya Tourist Police, stationed on Walking Street, were notified of the theft by Pattaya Police Station and quickly reviewed CCTV footage from the shop and along the suspects’ escape route. They discovered that the suspects were still in the vicinity and not fleeing.
When confronted, the suspects attempted to return the stolen battery, claiming they had accidentally taken it and intended to return it. Despite their claims, the officers, after reviewing the clear CCTV evidence, were not convinced. The suspects were taken to the Tourist Police Station, where they reportedly confessed to the crime after being shown the footage.
The two suspects, who had arrived in Thailand just a day earlier, were taken into custody along with the stolen camera battery, valued at approximately 5,000 baht. They were subsequently handed over to Pattaya Police Station for further legal action.
