Bangkok: Released from prison less than a day ago, a 31-year-old man has been apprehended for stealing amulets worth 300,000 baht from a department store in the Ngam Wong Wan area. The suspect, identified as Mr. Surasak, or Jack, reportedly committed the theft to secure funds needed for relocating.

According to Thai News Agency, CCTV footage from April 26th at 6:20 PM captured Jack stealing between 20 and 25 amulets from a drawer within an amulet shop located on the third floor of a prominent shopping mall. The footage, which clearly depicts Jack's face and movements from multiple angles, facilitated a swift arrest by the police.

Upon his arrest, Jack revealed that he was not an expert on amulets but possessed some knowledge about them. He claimed that his initial intent was to borrow money from an older acquaintance involved in the amulet trade at the mall. However, upon noticing the shop was empty and unlocked, he seized the opportunity to steal the amulets. Jack confessed to needing the money for moving and retained all the stolen amulets after realizing his face was clearly visible in the CCTV footage and the shop owner's Facebook post. He refrained from selling the amulets but managed to remove some frames, selling them for 2,000 baht. Jack admitted to having served four months for theft prior to his release on the morning of the incident and pleaded with the shop owner not to press charges after returning the amulets.

Despite Jack's plea, the shop owner insisted on following the legal process, prompting the police to charge him with theft.