Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopphasin Poonsawas, Chief of the Office of the Royal Thai Police Commander, assisting the Metropolitan Police Bureau, coordinated with the Marine Police to search underwater for the evidence gun used by the gold robbery suspect who stole 198 baht of gold at a shopping mall on Sukhumvit 50. The gun was reportedly discarded under the Phatthanakan Bridge. The commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5 acknowledged the possibility that this case may be linked to the 2019 gold robbery on Rama 4 Road, which remains unsolved, possibly involving the same suspect.
At 14:00 on 3 Feb 2026, Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopphasin Poonsawas, Chief of the Office of the Royal Thai Police Commander, assisting the Metropolitan Police Bureau, together with Pol. Maj. Gen. Setthasiri Niphaya, Commander of the Marine Police Division, and Pol. Col. Photthorn Jitman, Deputy Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 9, along with the investigation team, led officers from Division 2, Marine Police Bureau, equipped with metal scanners and diving gear, to search the area around the canal beneath Phatthanakan Bridge, in Prawet District, Bangkok.
The purpose was to recover evidence and the firearm the suspect used to threaten employees before robbing 198 baht of gold and 170,000 baht in cash from the Aurora Gold Shop inside a department store on the 2nd floor in Phra Khanong Subdistrict, Khlong Toei District, Bangkok. The incident occurred on 30 Jan. After the crime, the suspect reportedly discarded the weapon near this canal.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Setthasiri, Marine Police Commander, said they received coordination from the Metropolitan Police to assist in searching for evidence. They believe the weapon was discarded in the canal. Divers were sent underwater using metal detectors to aid the search. He expressed confidence that if the suspect truly discarded the gun in this canal area, they will find the evidence weapon.
Pol. Col. Photthorn, Deputy Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5, revealed that the investigation suggests the suspect discarded the gun in the canal before riding a motorcycle to discard it again at another canal spot, then escaped by swimming. Authorities are currently determining which bank of the canal the suspect swam to.
Regarding suspicions that the suspect, who disguised as a woman, may be the same individual involved in the 2019 gold robbery on Rama 4 Road that remains unsolved, officials have compared crime reenactments to determine if it is the same perpetrator. There is a possibility, and the investigation is ongoing.
At 15:00, marine police officers from Division 2, Marine Police Bureau, conducted a thorough search using underwater scanning equipment. After about 20 minutes, they recovered the evidence weapon in the middle of Phatthanakan Canal, approximately 10 meters from the suspected discard point under the bridge. This aligns with CCTV footage clearly showing the suspect throwing a heavy object into the canal.
Initial examination showed the gun was an airsoft or fake gun shaped like a real firearm, equipped with a magazine but no bullets. This type of gun is used for entertainment purposes, made by Ruger in black. Authorities seized it as evidence to send to the forensic department for further examination.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopphasin stated that the recovered gun matches the one seen lying on the counter at the gold shop during the robbery. It also corresponds with CCTV footage showing the suspect discarding the gun from a motorcycle. The police will send the weapon to forensic experts for detailed analysis.
Regarding the manhunt, Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopphasin confirmed that police are intensively pursuing the suspect, working diligently because the suspect is a professional, similar to the 2019 incident in the Thonglor police jurisdiction. The suspect disguised the motorcycle, concealed their identity with a wig, acted erratically as if homeless, and has not been apprehended. The physical description and escape tactics resemble the earlier case, including avoiding CCTV cameras and using familiar routes, making police pursuit difficult.
As for whether the suspect will vanish without a trace, police are determined to conduct a thorough investigation using all possible methods.