Pathum thani: A 72-year-old man from Pathum Thani Province has reported being drugged and robbed by a group of scammers who allegedly made off with a gold necklace and Buddha amulets valued at over one million baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chan and his niece, Ms. Thanaporn, have filed a complaint with the authorities, detailing how a gang of criminals deceived them into handing over valuable items. On October 6th, the scammers approached Mr. Chan at Wat Bueng Ba in Nong Suea District, expressing interest in purchasing banana shoots. They arranged to meet on October 10th, but instead of finalizing the purchase, the two young women from the gang took Mr. Chan to buy land at Khlong Sip Market.
During the journey, the group picked up another individual at Wat Ratsadon in Nong Khae District, Saraburi Province. The scammers then presented a story about a piece of land mortgaged for 3 million baht and proposed pooling funds to purchase it for 1 million baht. Although Mr. Chan refused, he recounted feeli
ng dazed and drowsy after one of the women touched his chin. Subsequently, he handed over his 5 baht gold necklace and a gold-framed amulet, believing he had been tricked. Mr. Chan has since reported the incident to Nong Suea Police Station in Pathum Thani Province.
Ms. Thanaporn mentioned that her grandfather appeared unusually quiet and disoriented after the incident, despite his typically talkative nature. The stolen necklace, weighing 5 baht, is valued at over 300,000 baht, and the Buddha amulets, including two Phra Somdej and a Phra Nang Phaya amulet, are collectively worth no less than a million baht.
Efforts to contact the suspected woman involved have been unsuccessful. Ms. Thanaporn has reviewed CCTV footage from Wat Bueng Ba, which shows two suspicious women in a sedan conversing with Mr. Chan under the temple’s kuti. This footage is being used as evidence to assist the police in tracking down the criminal gang.