A woman accused of stealing Chanel and Louis Vuitton handbags worth 228,000 baht (around US$6979) from a shop in Lat Phrao mall was arrested at a condominium in Bangkok yesterday, May 27.
Police recovered a black 8-inch Chanel Boy Chevron Caviar bag worth 179,000 baht and a black Louis Vuitton bag worth 49,000 baht from the suspect, identified as 41 year old Thanapha.
The arrest followed a complaint filed on May 25 by the owner of a well-known branded handbag shop in a shopping mall in Lat Phrao. The owner reported that the two bags had gone missing from the store.
CCTV footage showed a well-dressed woman entering the shop and posing as a customer. She allegedly told staff she had 400,000 baht and wanted to buy a handbag for personal use.
She then asked staff to remove several bags from the display cabinet before allegedly slipping two handbags into a shoulder bag while staff were distracted.
The suspect then pretended to leave the shop to make a phone call before fleeing.
According to police, Thanapha admitted to stealing luxury bags from the same shop twice. The first incident was on February 10, when she stole a Louis Vuitton Artsy Monogram Empreinte Dark Brown handbag worth 59,900 baht, which she later sold.
Investigators also believe she may be linked to another handbag theft at a well-known shop in Siam Square One. In that case, a black Chanel Diana Medium Flap Bag with gold hardware worth 59,000 baht and a brown Louis Vuitton Nano Diane Bicolour Monogram bag worth about 49,000 baht were stolen.
Police said CCTV footage from the Siam Square One case showed a woman with a similar appearance, clothing, and shoulder bag to Thanapha.
Matichon reported that Thanapha was charged with theft involving disguise or concealment to avoid identification. She was taken to Phahon Yothin Police Station for further legal action.
In a similar case, police apprehended a 50 year old Thai woman at a clubhouse in Bangkok for allegedly stealing luxury items from her uncle, a judge. The stolen items, which include Hermes bags and diamond earrings, are valued at approximately 3.65 million baht.
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