A man wearing only undies was arrested after stealing several mobile phones from Banana IT stores and giving them away to homeless people.
Police ordered the so-called “Robin Hood” in underpants to perform a crime scene reenactment on Wednesday, but authorities required him to wear some clothing.
The suspect, later identified as Jeh-isma-ae Hama, made the reenactment at a Banana IT store in Nakhon Nayok’s Muang district.
The 23-year-old man, a native of Narathiwat province in the country’s far south, was seen on videos recovered from security camera footage breaking into the Banana IT store’s premises at around 3:00 am on Sunday.
Mr. Jen-isma-ae reportedly stole 128 items, including mobile phones, worth approximately 1.9 million baht. He was only wearing underpants when he committed the crime.
Police found and arrested the suspect in a rented room in Seri Thai Road, Bang Kapi District, Bangko, on Monday.
Provincial Police Region 2 investigation chief Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thamsuthee said officers had retrieved 31 mobile phones when they arrested the man. They also searched another room the suspect rented on Ramkhamhaeng Road, finding 58 more cellphones.
Mr. Jen-isma-ae was about to leave for Narathiwat with the stolen phones when he was caught, Pol Maj Gen Theeradet added.
According to police reports, Mr. Jen-isma-ae said that he only robbed Banana IT stores because he liked the fruit and the color yellow. When asked about his clothing, he replied that he only wore underpants because that outfit made him feel confident.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet revealed that the suspect had robbed a Banana IT store in the southern border province of Yala on January 27, 2021, and another store of the same brand in Sai Mai district on January 9 this year.
Always wearing underpants, Mr. Jen-isma-ae shut down the security camera systems at all targeted stores.
Police reports also showed that the man robbed Banana IT outlets in the southern provinces of Songkhla, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phatthalung, and Nakhon Si Thammarat, as well as in the northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu and Ubon Ratchathani.
Police officers revealed they planned to take the suspect to other crime scenes for more reenactments.
Mr. Jen-isma-ae, dubbed the “thief in underpants,” said that he had stolen mobile phones because he did not have one in childhood. He also handed out some devices and money to homeless people at the Hua Lamphong railway station, Sanam Luang ground in Bangkok, and in his home province.
