Thai police go undercover as lion dancers at Lunar New Year festival to nab serial burglar
Thai police have caught an elusive serial burglar by going undercover as lion dancers at a temple fair.
When Thai police were having trouble catching a serial burglar who repeatedly slipped through their fingers, they came up with a creative plan: going undercover in a traditional lion costume to get close to their elusive quarry.
Video released by the Bangkok police department showed officers hidden beneath a red-and-gold lion costume dancing toward the suspect on Wednesday as he wandered through a Lunar New Year fair at a temple in Nonthaburi, a province neighbouring Bangkok.
Moments later, the officer who was holding the lion’s papier-mache head lunges at the suspect swiftly pins the man to the ground.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Police said the suspect, a 33-year-old man, was accused of breaking into the home of a police commander in Bangkok three times in February, making off with valuables worth about two million baht ($A90,000).
In a media release, police said they had tried to arrest the man several times but he was quick to spot police officers and ran off.
They later identified him by tracing stolen amulets he had sold and learned that he frequently visited temples in Nonthaburi.
While the Lunar New Year is not an official holiday in Thailand, celebrations are common and lion dances are often part of the festivities, providing the perfect cover for the operation.
Police said the suspect has confessed to the burglaries, saying he stole to buy drugs and gamble.
He had previously been convicted of drug-related offences and burglary, the said.
