Filipino Hong Kong male arrested for falsifying Phuket robbery report

A 22-year-old Filipino-Hong Kong male is in custody in Phuket and has been charged for falsifying a police report about a fabricated robbery story (June 20).

At 1.30am yesterday morning (June 21), Chalong and Tourist police arrested the suspect, who they said was a Hong Kong national, though was carrying a Philippines passport.

Named as Wong Wai Ki Warwick Taboctabo, the suspect was charged for violating section 173 of the Thailand Penal Code by giving false information to an investigating official, an offence which carries up to three years and/or up to B6,000 fine.

Yesterday evening Chalong Police alerted the Phuket Tourist Police through their 1155 tourist emergency hotline, that a foreign tourist had filed a police report, claiming to have been robbed.

Tourist Police officers reported to Chalong Police Station, where they met the suspect, who recounted his story.

Having arrived to Phuket at 4.45pm via plane, the suspect told police that he had taken a taxi to a restaurant, but could not recall its name or location.

While dining, the suspect claimed that someone had stolen his bag, mobile phone and mac book notebook computer, and proceded to take another taxi to Chalong Police Station to file a report.

Furthermore, the suspect claimed that he only had B200 left to his name, and no accommodations or friend in Phuket to contact for help.

Police reviewed the suspect’s story and proceeded to inspect his possessions, discovering that in fact he was in possession of a key card, identifying the “Rawai Palm Beach Resort”.

Police proceded to contact the resort and learned that the suspect had a room there. In the ensuing search of the room, police found a bag with clothes and a mobile phone containing pictures of the suspect.

Police have yet to speculate on the suspect’s motive, but the case echoes a similar case last week of a fabricated robbery report for the purpose of insurance fraud (story here).

Phuket News

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