Police nabbed a Vietnamese man at the bustling Khlong Luek immigration checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo on Friday night. Authorities claim he played a crucial role as the driver for a group of Chinese men who audaciously robbed a compatriot at his residence in Pathum Thani earlier that week. (Screenshot from TV 3)
The man, identified as 35-year-old Nguyen Ba Hien, was driving a Toyota Vios sporting Bangkok license plates when police and immigration officers took note of the vehicle at 7 PM. Their suspicions proved fruitful; Nguyen was precisely the individual wanted in connection with the robbery that took place on Wednesday.
The crime, which could be straight out of a high-octane thriller, happened at the home of Chinese businessman Ke Jibao in tambon Ban Mai, Muang district, Pathum Thani, in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Ke Jibao and his wife were fast asleep when four masked intruders, brandishing guns and knives, stormed into their sanctuary.
In a spine-chilling turn of events, the assailants bound Ke, his wife, and their maid, rendering them utterly defenseless. Demanding Ke to dial a relative in China, they extorted a whopping $2 million (around 70 million baht) in digital currency. To cover their tracks, the robbers snatched the security camera servers that documented their crime, and sped away in the victim’s posh black Toyota Alphard filled with cash and valuables totaling over 10 million baht.
Authorities wasted no time launching a massive manhunt for the gang, a sinister coalition of Chinese nationals. In the meantime, the arresting officers confiscated two passports and two mobile phones from Nguyen. Initially, he faced charges of overstaying his visa.
Under questioning, Nguyen vehemently denied his involvement in the heist. He spun a tale of merely being hired to chauffeur the four men from the Rama IX area in Bangkok to the Pathum Thani house twice—once on the night of August 8 and again on August 14. After that, he claimed, he returned them to the same Rama IX neighborhood.
Regardless of his version of events, Nguyen’s legal woes are far from over. He is set to be handed over to authorities at the Pak Khlong Rangsit station in Pathum Thani, where further legal proceedings will be conducted.
Wow, this sounds like something out of a movie! Can’t believe they extorted $2 million!
It has to be an inside job. How else would they know exactly where to go and what to do?
That’s a good point. Maybe the driver, Nguyen, is more involved than he’s admitting.
You’d be surprised at how detailed criminals can plan their heists these days. It’s scary!
I think it’s too early to jump to conclusions. Innocent until proven guilty!
This is why you can’t trust anyone these days, not even your driver.
That’s quite a generalization. Most drivers are honest people.
I agree with @John. Blaming all drivers for the actions of a few bad ones is unfair.
The worst part is they used digital currency. It’s becoming too easy for criminals to move money around!
Yes, but it’s also easier for authorities to track if they know what they’re doing.
That’s why we need better regulation around digital currencies. The current laws are too loose.
Just awful. Imagine waking up to masked men in your house!
I can’t even imagine. Horrifying!
That’s why home security is so important. Cameras, alarms, everything.
Exactly! Even with all that, it’s scary to think someone could still get in.
So do we know if Nguyen actually helped with the heist, or was he just a patsy?
From what I gather, he’s claiming innocence. But who knows?
Well, if he’s innocent, it’s a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I seriously doubt he’s innocent. How convenient to just be ‘driving’ them around.
Typical! Always a foreigner involved in these crimes.
That’s a pretty xenophobic comment. Crime is not limited to foreigners.
Exactly. Look at the stats; most crimes are committed by locals.
The security at that house must have been a joke if four men could break in so easily.
Really puts into perspective how vulnerable we are, no matter how secure we think we are.
I think there’s a deeper story here. Who knows what this Ke Jibao guy is into that made him a target?
I feel for Nguyen if he’s innocent. Being dragged into something this huge can ruin his life.
I hope they catch everyone involved. Such a brazen crime can’t go unpunished.
Makes me wonder if the police have already recovered the stolen money.
Let’s be realistic, Nguyen is probably involved. Who chauffeurs around criminals and has no clue?
So Nguyen is claiming he was just a driver. Even if that’s true, he’s still an accessory to a crime.
Wait until all the facts come out before making judgments.