Bangkok: Police have expanded their investigation into the "Straw Hat Robber" case, linking it to the "wig-wearing robber" who robbed a gold shop in 2019. DNA results confirm it's the same person, closing a case that had been unsolved for 7 years.

According to Thai News Agency, the case involves a robbery at a gold shop inside a shopping mall in the Sukhumvit area on January 30th, where the perpetrator made off with approximately 198 baht weight of gold and around 170,000 baht in cash, resulting in damages exceeding 10 million baht. The suspect, Mr. Chalo or "Tiw," 29 years old, was arrested on February 19th and confessed to the crime.

Recently, Pol. Lt. Gen. Nophasil Phoolsawat, Commander of the Office of the Commissioner General of Police, on duty at the Metropolitan Police Bureau, held a meeting to follow up on the progress of the case with police officers from Phra Khanong and Thonglor police stations, as well as forensic officers. The main objective was to determine whether Mr. Chalo or Thiw is the same perpetrator in the 2019 gold shop robbery, given the striking similarities in his physical appearance, distinguishing features, and modus operandi.

Forensic examination, through DNA comparison, has definitively confirmed that Mr. Jalo is the same person as the perpetrator of the gold robbery at a shopping mall in the Rama IV area in 2019.

In the 2019 case, Pol. Lt. Gen. Nophasil Phoolsawat, then Deputy Commander of the Metropolitan Police Investigation Division with the rank of Pol. Col., was part of the team that solved the case. Forensic officers collected a DNA sample from the left handle of a yellow Yamaha motorcycle without license plates, which was used as a getaway vehicle after the incident. Recently, when this DNA was compared to that of Mr. Chalo or Thiw, a clear match was found.

This confirmation puts an end to a case that has dragged on for over 7 years and links the "Straw Hat Pirate" and the "Wig-Wearing Thief" as the same person.

Following this, investigators will compile the forensic examination results and submit them to the public prosecutor, along with filing additional charges from the 2019 case, to proceed with legal action.