Motorbike muggers prowl city's streets

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Motorbike muggers prowl city's streets

New 'Tigers' gang targets mobile phone users
Published: 25/07/2011 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News  

City police have captured a mob of snatch-and-grab robbers called "Gang Sua" (tiger gang) who travel in motorcycle packs and target lone pedestrians. It was their daring early-evening attack on a well-known musician and former university lecturer on a crowded main street last month that tipped them off to the gang's existence.

Until this incident, officers conceded they had never heard of the gang, although the word sua itself was a popular nom-de-plume used by notorious criminals in the past. "Gang Sua" began to take on a sinister meaning after the arrest of two men identified as the alleged robbers of a pedestrian in Khlong Tan area two weeks ago.

The two suspects immediately denied they were part of "Gang Sua", giving the gang a shape and form for the police. Evidence quickly pointed to the group as the robbers of Fong Nam founder Bruce Gaston under Phra Khanong BTS station last month.

Mr Gaston, 65, who is a former special lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, was assaulted and robbed around 7.30pm on June 27 by teenagers riding motorcycles. The robbers snatched his bag, containing 800 baht cash and an iPhone.

Mr Gaston needed 33 stitches after being hit on the left eyebrow, lips and head. Three of his front teeth were badly damaged.

The unusual aspects of the attack on the respected expatriate prompted the Metropolitan Police Bureau to broaden the investigation into the case as it happened at a busy time in a main business area of the city.

Somchai Patchara-into, commander of the bureau's division 5, assigned his deputy Ittipol Atchariyapradit, to handle the case.

Pol Col Ittipol, dubbed the "teen criminal suppression officer" handled similar cases when he served as a police detective in the Thon Buri area.

Pol Col Ittipol worked on the assumption that the thieves might have carried out similar attacks. He called in his team of detectives, including Pol Lt Theerasak Pinyo, deputy superintendent of division 5 and Pol Lt Ritthee Pandam, investigator attached to Khlong Tan police, to examine closed-circuit cameras in and around the robbery scene.

Though several surveillance cameras failed to find any clues to the suspects, the team did not give up. The officers later found footage from a CCTV camera at a hotel in the area which captured a suspected motorcycle.

More clues were obtained after the investigators found similar attacks in several Bangkok areas. The gang normally cruised around on 3-4 motorcycles to look for victims, mostly those walking alone.

"The criminals target pedestrians walking alone, particularly those using mobile phones while walking. The gangsters steal the mobile phones and cash from their targets," said Pol Col Ittipol, who compiled the modus operandi of the gang.

He had asked several police stations to keep a close watch on certain suspects in their areas as he believed they would again carry out similar robberies again. Two weeks passed and a robbery case was reported in Khlong Tan area at 3am on July 13. Two men were caught with stolen items.

The two suspects were brought to the investigators for interrogation. They admitted they carried out the robbery in Khlong Tan on July 13, but denied any involvement in the case of Mr Gaston.

However, they admitted they knew the gangsters who assaulted and robbed the musician. The gangsters were members of the so-called "Gang Sua" which has six members.

The information supplied by the two men led police to arrest four of the six suspected members of the gang.

Anan Paleebat, alias Sua Mud, 38, was caught at a rented house near Wat Phrayakrai temple. Nawapol Leepaed, alias Sua Boy, were later arrested in the Phaya Thai area. The two others _ alleged gang leader Atthapong "Sua Sen" Sakulnee, 27, and Korakot "Sua Bank" Singchardchan, 18, were caught separately days later.

The two missing suspected gang members were named as Manoosak Boonrod, 33, alias "Sua Bang Bu", and Surapan "Sua Puk" Sawangrung, 23. All suspects will face initial charges of theft.

Pol Maj Gen Somchai said most members of the gang were former drug inmates who had spent time behind bars together and allegedly formed a criminal gang after being released from jail.

The gang was active on Sukhumvit, Chan, Charoen Krung, Pattanakarn, Srinakarin, Lat Phrao, Ramkhamhaeng and Rama III roads. They had allegedly been involved in at least 11 criminal attacks.

Pol Maj Gen Somchai has asked police to keep a close watch on suspects, particularly teen motorcyclists and motorcycle racers, as he believes there is more than one criminal gang preying on pedestrians. He warned pedestrians to be more careful while walking along city streets. They were advised not to walk alone or walk while using a mobile phone.