Thailand arrests Vietnamese man, three women for shoplifting

By Nguyen Quy   November 19, 2018 | 05:33 pm PT
Thailand arrests Vietnamese man, three women for shoplifting
People visit a shopping mall in Bangkok. Photo by Shutterstock/TramAnh
Thai police have detained four Vietnamese nationals to investigate alleged pilfering of high-end clothing from Bangkok’s shopping malls.

Thai newspaper Khaosod reported that Bangkok police have identified the four as Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, 31, Tran Duc Viet, 24, Nguyen Thi Phuong Mai, 29, and Ly Thu Huong, 24. 

Citing the police, the report said a group of Vietnamese had entered an H&M clothing store inside a shopping mall on Sukhumvit Road Thursday and acted suspiciously while picking up clothes.

When they became aware that security guards were watching them, the four left baskets of goods behind and fled the store. But Thao was stopped.

When security staff checked her basket, they found Thao had removed anti-theft tags on clothing items that only cashiers can remove after they’ve been paid for.

The report did not mention how this was done.

Thao was arrested and police officers quickly got her accomplices as well. A raid on their hotel in Bangkok the same night found many shoplifted clothing items.

The four Vietnamese citizens have denied the theft allegations.

However, police suspect they’d carried out several similar thefts earlier without getting caught.

Last June, a 15-member gang of Vietnamese pickpockets who’d changed their names and re-entered the country with fake passports were arrested by Thai police. They had earlier been deported and banned from returning to Thailand.

Some Vietnamese people are earning an unsavory reputation in several Asian countries like Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, with many caught engaging in petty crimes over the last few months.

Citizens of ASEAN member nations can travel within the region without applying for a visa and stay as tourists for 30 days.

 
 
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