Khon kaen: Police are actively pursuing a suspect involved in the theft of 26 baht worth of gold from a shop in Khon Kaen province. The Deputy National Police Chief is set to visit the scene of the robbery and authorities are focusing on tracing the suspect's escape route, under the belief that the individual is a local resident.

According to Thai News Agency, the incident took place yesterday afternoon at a gold shop located at the Ban Thum traffic light intersection in the Ban Thum Subdistrict, Mueang District. The suspect, a male dressed in concealing attire including a black full-face helmet and jacket, pretended to have a firearm and threatened three female employees, demanding gold under threat of violence. The employees sought cover, allowing the suspect to use an iron bar to break the display case and steal the gold, valued at nearly 2 million baht, before fleeing on a motorcycle.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wattana Pimpila and his team have revisited the crime scene, where employees remain visibly shaken. CCTV footage revealed that the suspect fled on a gray Honda Wave 100 motorcycle without license plates, parked in an alley about 10 kilometers from the scene. The tool used in the robbery, a new and rust-free steel tube, suggests premeditation and local knowledge.

Today, authorities will continue to trace the escape route using CCTV, while also seeking assistance from community leaders to identify the suspect. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Pol. Gen. Thatchai Pitanilabutr, plans to inspect the crime scene and hold a case meeting at Ban Ped Police Station.

Witnesses described the chilling moment of the robbery, as a female employee's scream and the sound of shattering glass alarmed those nearby. The suspect then swiftly departed on a motorcycle, drawing attention from bystanders but leaving no immediate clues to his identity.