Chonburi: Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a robbery that mimicked the style of the Fast and Furious movies. The gang, comprised of foreigners, orchestrated a heist using three vehicles to steal a safe from the home of a fellow countryman.
According to Thai News Agency, the robbery took place in Moo 10, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District. The suspects, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, broke into the home of Wesley, a 32-year-old British chef, and held him at knifepoint. After forcing their way to a bedroom on the second floor, they stole a safe from a wardrobe and loaded it into a black four-door pickup truck before fleeing. The safe contained over 2 million baht in cash.
Police believe the robbery was premeditated. The perpetrators appeared to have prior knowledge of the victim's recent cash withdrawal intended for a house purchase. It is suspected that the robbers, who are believed to share the same nationality as the victim, met him at a marijuana shop in the Pattaya area.
CCTV footage along the escape route revealed that the suspects employed a strategy involving multiple vehicles to mislead authorities. Initially, a black four-door Ford pickup truck was used for the robbery. The suspects then switched vehicles twice - first to a white SUV and later to another four-door Ford pickup truck - mirroring tactics seen in the Fast and Furious film series to evade detection.
Further CCTV evidence showed the vehicle change occurred at an apartment building in Soi Boonkanchanaram 5. The police suspect the apartment was used to open the safe and distribute the stolen money. The final vehicle switch allowed the suspects to head towards Chonburi province.