A Colombian man wanted for a daring heist in Malaysia has been arrested in Bangkok. The arrest was the result of a joint operation between the Malaysian authorities and Thai counterparts.
The suspect was the subject of an international manhunt for his role in a burglary that targeted the residence of a wealthy businessman in Kuala Lumpur last month. According to a Pattaya News report, a group of thieves stole valuables worth over 70 million baht from the property during the May 31 heist.
The authorities in Malaysia identified 8 suspects involved in the operation, arresting 7 of them swiftly. However, the alleged mastermind, then believed to be a 30 year old Guatemalan national known only as “Mr Lopez”, continued to evade capture and the authorities discovered he had fled across the border to Thailand.
Police in Malaysia informed their Thai counterparts that Mr Lopez was understood to have arrived in Songkhla and was travelling to Bangkok. The Thai authorities then tracked him to a hotel in the Sukhumvit area of Khlong Toei, where he was arrested.
Under questioning, the suspect revealed that his real named was Mr Miguel and that he was a 39 year old Colombian national. The Thai immigration database showed no record of his entry into Thailand and he would not be drawn on who his accomplices were or his criminal activity.
Investigating officers subsequently discovered that Mr Miguel had a criminal history dating back to 2010, when he and a number of accomplices operated as a gang of thieves. His name had already been flagged in the Immigration Bureau’s watchlist.
The Colombian is now being charged with illegal entry into Thailand and will be extradited to Malaysia to face trial for his role in last month’s heist.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
