A police officer in Thailand who disguised himself as foliage to snare a sex attacker has sparked much amusement online. - Photo: SCMP composite/Khaosod/Ejan/Shutterstock
BANGKOK: A police officer in Thailand has sparked much amusement online after he camouflaged himself as foliage to effect the arrest of a sex offender in a rural setting.
On December 15 in Chachoengsao province, in south-central Thailand, a 12 year-old girl was reportedly sexually assaulted and abandoned on a roadside by a suspect identified as Bang Din, according to the Thai media outlets Khaosod and Ejan.
An investigation revealed that the unidentified victim had initially connected with a person called “Ree” on social media.
On September 1, Ree invited her to meet near her home. Upon arrival, she was introduced to a 26-year-old man named Sharif.
The trio then traveled by motorcycle to a resort in Nakhon Nayok province in central Thailand, where the pair invited the suspect, Bang Din, to join them for snacks.
However, shortly after, Ree and Sharif excused themselves to “check on the motorcycle,” leaving Bang Din alone with the victim.
At this point, it is alleged that Bang Din forcibly assaulted her.
After the incident, the victim asked to return home. Bang Din then pulled his motorcycle to the side of the road, abandoned her, and left.
On December 11, a local court issued an arrest warrant for Bang Din on multiple charges, including trafficking of minors, deception, kidnapping, and sexual assault on minors under the age of 15.
However, the police faced several setbacks during their pursuit, including an incident where the suspect managed to escape on a motorcycle in a rural area.
In the final attempt to apprehend him, police located Bang Din in rural terrain which posed significant challenges to conventional tactics, so they decided to adopt a military strategy.
A police officer donned a gillie suit and crawled more than 300 meters through rice fields.
Using a telescope, he spotted the suspect hiding under a house, managed to break in, and successfully arrested him.
Photos released show the officer camouflaged in grass, making him nearly invisible, with his face, including his eyes and nose, completely covered, adding a humorous vibe to a serious operation.
The story attracted much attention and praise online, with many people commending the police for their dedication and creativity, while also joking about what costumes might be used in future arrests.
Some even compared the officer’s camouflage outfit to the ghillie suit from the popular game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), with one person saying: “Now the PUBG theme music started playing in my head.”
“Kudos to the local police! Such resilience and adaptability finally brought the suspect to justice!” said another. - South China Morning Post/ANN
