Pattani: Six robbers armed with knives and guns targeted a convenience store in Panare District, Pattani Province, making off with 4,492 baht. Police are urgently reviewing CCTV footage from various locations to track the escape routes used by the culprits.
According to Thai News Agency, CCTV footage from the convenience store in Panare captured the six robbers arriving on two motorcycles. Each assailant concealed their identity with cloth masks and was armed with knives, handguns, and rifles. During the heist, one robber vaulted over the counter attempting to open the safe. When his efforts failed, he forced the store clerk at gunpoint to open it, allowing the robbers to seize the cash before making a swift exit.
Pol. Lt. Aniwut Khaochankong, deputy inspector of prevention and suppression at Panare Police Station, is leading the investigation. He confirmed that police are carefully examining CCTV footage from the crime scene and other strategic points to identify the robbers' escape paths.
Authorities have discovered that the same group is responsible for another robbery shortly after the convenience store heist. They stole four mobile phones from teenagers in Tambon Ban Nam Bo, Amphoe Sai Buri. Following this incident, the robbers fired two shots into the air, likely as a warning to deter pursuit. Investigators suspect that the robbers might not be locals and are exploring possible connections to insurgent groups.
This recent spate of robberies follows a similar incident last year in which a convenience store employee at a gas station in Palas branch, Panare District, was robbed of over 1 million baht while en route to deposit the money in a bank on November 18th.