Gold heist foiled: Ex-guard’s fake gun fails to secure glittering loot

A former security guard was arrested for attempting to steal gold worth US$76,600 with a fake gun from a popular gold store in a Bang Khae shopping mall in Bangkok.

Police Colonel Ponganun Klaiklueng, together with other officers, arrested the 35 year old suspect, Nitinant, in Nonthaburi. The man was found in possession of 71 baht of gold, valued at approximately US$76,600, a fake gun, and a white Toyota Corolla.

During the initial investigation, the suspect admitted to previously having worked as a security guard but had recently been laid off and needed an income. He planned to use a counterfeit firearm to rob the gold store, scoping out various locations before choosing the target in Bang Khae’s Lotus shopping centre.

The suspect in this case had visited several other stores but ultimately decided on the one in Bang Khae due to its open space and lack of…