STRATEGIC PARTNERS
January 9, 2003
BANGKOK, Thailand -- A relative of the suspected mastermind of a recent 50-million-baht (about $1.16 million U.S.) security van robbery returned almost one million baht ($24,000) of the loot which the suspect had asked him to keep, according to the Bangkok Post.
Mek Praseeratasang, 45, contacted police on Jan. 8 to return 900,000 baht which Sawai Khongrum had left with him while he was on the run. Sawai, 38, the suspected planner of the robbery had turned himself in to city police on Jan. 7.
Mek, a brother-in-law of Sawai, was taken to the Metropolitan Police Bureau for questioning.
He told police that the suspect had visited him early on Jan. 6 and asked him to keep a bagful of cash. Mek said he felt it was none of his business to ask how Sawai had acquired the money. He only came to know how it was acquired following news reports on Sawai's arrest, he said.
Sawai allegedly told the authorities that he had left one million baht with Mek. However, Mek denied any knowledge of the missing 100,000 baht ($2,337), saying he had neither checked the money nor used it.
Damrongsak Ninkhuha, metropolitan police commissioner, said Mek was the last person to be linked to the case. If Mek was aware the money was acquired from illegal activities, he would face charges of colluding in the robbery and keeping stolen cash.
An additional one million baht ($24,000) is still missing, which Sawai claimed to used to set a fire to keep himself warm on a cold night while on the run. Police found some charred currency at two locations. However, the amount of the burned money did not match Sawai's claims. Damrongsak said it was believed that the suspect had used a lot of paper but only a small amount of cash to set the fires.
(See related story Did ATM thief keep warm with hot cash? Police doubt his story)
The robbery was staged by Krongsit Kamsuangjit, a van driver who fled with more than 50 million baht during a routine trip to fill ATMs around Bangkok. It was found on Jan. 4 parked in front of a restaurant with 42.9 million baht ($975,400) still locked in cash boxes.
(See related story Thai armored courier takes off with ATM cash)
Krongsit and two of his brothers were arrested on Jan. 6 and one million baht was recovered from them. (See related story Courier takes ATM cash to stick it to "the man")
