BANGKOK: Police are hunting for an East Asian couple who used mobile phones to pull off the distraction theft of a 1-million-baht (US$28,000) gold bracelet under the eyes of staff at a prestigious Bangkok mall on Tuesday (April 16).
After finding the diamond-encrusted item had gone missing, jewellery store staff watched in horror as security camera footage revealed how the bracelet, priced at 1.04 million baht, had vanished under their eyes just minutes earlier.
The store manager, 39-year-old Soammathat, rang Pathumwan police at 6.39pm to report the theft.
He explained that a well-dressed couple, apparently tourists, had walked into the store and asked to view the bracelet.
CCTV footage shows the woman then using her mobile phone to block the view of staff as she handles the bracelet, before deftly hiding it up her left sleeve.
Meanwhile, her partner distracts the attention of staff by brandishing his own phone and placing it in his right trouser pocket.
The couple were then seen hurrying out of the shop and getting into a yellow-green taxi.
Police traced the route of the taxi, which turned left towards Rama IX Road before taking the Don Muang Tollway heading to Don Mueang International Airport. - The Nation/ANN
