Two men from China resorted to the use of remote-controlled signal jammers to orchestrate clever thefts at rest stops along highways. The police apprehended them immediately and discovered a scheme to illicitly withdraw funds from credit cards tied to a call center syndicate.
Multiple theft reports have been received by the police in Chachoengsao regarding incidents at the Bang Pakong highway rest area, where vehicles have been damaged and valuables, notably credit cards, have been pilfered. This has caused considerable distress for motorists on this route.
The Bang Pakong police force in Chachoengsao joined efforts with the Central Investigation Police to urgently locate the criminals. They identified important clues from the CCTV surveillance at each of the crime sites.
The individuals identified as suspects appear to be of Chinese descent, often demonstrating a consistent modus operandi. They function as an organized criminal group with a clear delineation of roles, specifically between Zhang, 38, and Zheng, 31.
On September 15, following the completion of their investigations at the crime scene, law enforcement officials jointly detained two Chinese suspects at a highway service area in Khao Din Town, situated in Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province.
Understanding that the criminals’ method was unmistakable, the officers strategically spread out to keep an eye on the surroundings. As the two men made their appearance, the police chose to wait until they attempted to break into two vehicles before stepping in to arrest them.
The authorities then proceeded to search their room, where they found several items related to the crime, including a remote control signal cell phone blockers, three mobile phones, a shoulder bag, and they took possession of a car key, a vehicle, and other relevant evidence.
The two were indicted for “jointly attempting to perpetrate theft with a vehicle” and “illegally entering and residing in Saudi Arabia as foreigners.” Zhang contested the charges, while Zheng confessed to them. Following this, they were handed over to the Crime Suppression Department for further investigation.
The examination uncovered that the gang would position themselves near parking locations at highway rest areas. As they spotted victims parked and preparing to exit their cars, the initial group of thieves would activate signal jammers to obstruct the remote control signal, which hindered the locking of the vehicle.
Thereafter, another set of criminals would approach the victims and initiate phone calls nearby to create a distraction, allowing the victims to overlook the fact that their cars were not secured. Once the victims had vacated their vehicles, a different group of criminals would then open the car doors and steal the items of value within.
Moreover, the police ascertained that a Thai woman, who was later identified as Zheng’s girlfriend, Ms. Ketfa Theeranat, aged 20, had been in the same automobile with the suspect before being conveyed to the highway rest area.
During a police search of Ms. Ketfa Theeranat’s apartment situated in the Rama 9 District, authorities found ketamine. She was arrested on the grounds of “unauthorized possession of psychotropic drugs (ketamine)” and was thereafter taken to Makkasan Police Station.
At the same time, investigators revealed the strategies used by the suspects to siphon money from the victims’ credit cards. The card readers they operated were suspected to be connected to foreign retail outlets or areas of usage. This finding is consistent with the information gathered during the investigation, suggesting that the criminal group may be affiliated with the call center gang that perpetrates fraud across multiple networks.
We will engage in a more in-depth investigation of the case to validate these findings.
