PHUKET: A Phuket bag snatcher stole several purses from women in a series of thefts yesterday that ended with a police pursuit and a motorcycle crash.

Reports of the thefts came one after another, at 20-minute intervals, beginning with a theft at Rassada Pier in Phuket City and continuing with a second outside a school in Samkong.

By the time the third snatch came at Soi 131, police in Phuket City had alerted other officers to be ready for the raider on his snatching spree.

In Thalang, police broke up into three teams, all on the lookout for a man in a black helmet riding a blue and white Honda Scoopi.

Then came a report of the fourth bag snatch outside Tharua Temple in Thekasattri Road, not far from Phuket's Heroines Monument.

The snatch and ride raider turned right towards Paklok and paused briefly to commit his fifth purse grab outside a 7-Eleven store in Yamu village.

Riding on, he sped through a checkpoint near the Bang Pae waterfall turnoff. Police on motorcycles pursued him.

On a bend, the rider lost control and came off his motorcycle. Running into the forest provided no escape and the man was nabbed by police.

Later, at Thalang Police Station, a succession of victims identified the man and their stolen items.

As well as seven purses and two iPhones, officers found Boonserm Chaluayori, 22, to be in possession of a knife.

Khun Boonserm said he had pulled 20 snatch-and-ride robberies in the past few days to sustain his drugs habit.