Police are gathering additional evidence on site to hunt a masked gang that broke into a British man's home in Chonburi and stole a safe containing 2 million baht. Authorities believe there was an informant and that Thai accomplices were involved. Neighbors reported seeing the suspects' vehicle enter the village and wait before the crime.
The case involves three suspects dressed in black and wearing masks who broke into a house in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. They threatened 32-year-old British national Wesley Cyril Russell, a chef working abroad, and his Thai wife with knives before going upstairs to remove a safe from a wardrobe in the second-floor bedroom. They carried the safe out and fled in a black four-door pickup truck. The safe contained over 2 million baht in cash. The incident occurred around midnight on 26 Feb 2026, as previously reported.
On 27 Feb 2026, Police Colonel Natthapon Phongsuksakul, Superintendent of Nong Prue Police Station, along with investigators, forensic officers from Chonburi Forensic Unit 2, and detectives from Nong Prue Police, Chonburi Provincial Police, and Region 2 Police, revisited the crime scene to collect additional evidence regarding the robbery, including latent fingerprints of the suspects. They also found that the entrance barrier of the village had been damaged, apparently struck by the suspects' vehicle.
Additionally, Lieutenant Colonel Natthabodin Thongin, Deputy Chief Investigator of Nong Prue Police Station and the case officer, summoned the victims—Wesley Cyril Russell and his Thai girlfriend, Ms. Jandee (surname withheld), 34—as well as two British friends living in the same house, for further questioning to gather detailed descriptions of the suspects.
Ms. Mon (pseudonym), 57, a neighbor living next door, said she saw the suspect's vehicle enter the village around 8 p.m. She became suspicious when the pickup slowed near the victim's house. Around 9 p.m., the vehicle parked near the swimming pool, and soon after, she heard a young woman scream for help. She then saw three men dressed in black, wearing masks and each holding a knife, walking towards the black pickup truck. One of them was carrying the safe out of the house. She immediately called the police. The entire robbery took less than two minutes.
The house was occupied by four people: three British men and one Thai woman, paying 25,000 baht per month in rent. After the robbery, the young female victim revealed she had recently withdrawn cash from the bank two to three days earlier to buy a new house but was robbed before completing the purchase. She believes there is an insider in the household because otherwise, how would the suspects know about the recent cash withdrawal and the presence of money in the safe?
During the police investigation at the scene, reporters observed a large pit bull dog inside the house. It was noted that the dog remained calm and did not show aggression during the robbery.
CCTV footage from the village entrance captured the suspects' vehicle entering at 10:19 p.m. (13 minutes later than the actual time). The vehicle then proceeded directly to the victim's house to commit the robbery. At 10:38 p.m., the footage shows the vehicle leaving and attempting to slow down because of a barrier. A security guard was seen pressing the barrier's button, but the suspects rammed the barrier and quickly turned left to escape.
Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from before and after the crime. They found that the suspects discarded the victim's mobile phone in a forested area near the railway, about 2–3 kilometers from the crime scene, then headed toward Wat Boonkanchanaram Road. This suggests the suspects remain at large within the Pattaya area.
Further questioning revealed that Wesley Cyril Russell arrived in Thailand around November and had been living there for about two months. The stolen money was intended for purchasing a new house since he was renting the current residence. The nationality of the suspects remains uncertain, but police believe Thai individuals were involved. The investigation indicates someone tipped off the suspects about the victim's recent cash withdrawal and that the money was stored in the safe before the robbery.