PHUKET: Two Iranian men who used fake Turkish passports to allegedly rob guests at a Phuket resort were arrested on Samui yesterday and brought back to Phuket to face charges.
The case was an exercise in police perseverance.
The alleged theft of jewellery and an expensive watch from a room at the Dusit D2 Phuket Resort in Patong led police investigators from the holiday hub's Kathu Police Station to Phuket International Airport, where they identified the pair as Iranians, even though the men had used Turkish passports when checking in at the resort.
The theft took place sometime between 1pm and 5pm on March 29 at the D2, where the men called reception to make a small repair in their room then asked if the nearby room of a ''friend'' could also be open.
The men - Murad Mohammed Yahya and Wesam Kamal Murad - had previously pretended to be genuine ''friends'' of the people in the other room by riding up with them in a lift after check-in and engaging in chit-chat.
The pair headed off after the alleged theft to Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand, where they were arrested yesterday. Police had previously obtained warrants on the basis of the identification of the Iranians from their airport photos.
The two men have made no admissions and will face further questions from police.
Guests at D2 or at other resorts where the circumstances of thefts may have been similar are advised to contact Kathu Police Station.
The case was an exercise in police perseverance.
The alleged theft of jewellery and an expensive watch from a room at the Dusit D2 Phuket Resort in Patong led police investigators from the holiday hub's Kathu Police Station to Phuket International Airport, where they identified the pair as Iranians, even though the men had used Turkish passports when checking in at the resort.
The theft took place sometime between 1pm and 5pm on March 29 at the D2, where the men called reception to make a small repair in their room then asked if the nearby room of a ''friend'' could also be open.
The men - Murad Mohammed Yahya and Wesam Kamal Murad - had previously pretended to be genuine ''friends'' of the people in the other room by riding up with them in a lift after check-in and engaging in chit-chat.
The pair headed off after the alleged theft to Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand, where they were arrested yesterday. Police had previously obtained warrants on the basis of the identification of the Iranians from their airport photos.
The two men have made no admissions and will face further questions from police.
Guests at D2 or at other resorts where the circumstances of thefts may have been similar are advised to contact Kathu Police Station.
Good work Thai police. Iranians using bogus Turkish passports. How reassuring. Maybe a few years in a Thai prison will have them evaluating the risk/rewards of crime. Any comment about 'quality tourists' would be superfluous. Fortunately they were just sneak thieves and not up to more evil deeds.
Posted by Arun Muruga on August 28, 2015 10:55