"Deputy Jo - Inspector Jae" closed the case by arresting a husband and wife at their Don Mueang residence, uncovering many exotic animals including stolen lizards. They had been roaming to exchange methamphetamine, leading to solving animal theft cases across Bangkok and its surrounding provinces.
At 11:30 a.m. on 7 May 2026, Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, along with Pol. Maj. Gen. Pallop Aermla, Deputy Commissioner, Pol. Maj. Gen. Teeradej Thammasuthi, Deputy Commissioner, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chotiwat Luangwilai, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Investigation Division, Pol. Maj. Gen. Kiattikul Sonthiener, Chief of Metropolitan Police Division 2, and Pol. Lt. Thanyapeerasit Chunpipop, Inspector of Investigation Unit 3, together with officers from the Metropolitan Police's Narcotics Suppression Center and Bang Yi Khan Police Station, arrested Mr. Raiwin, 26, and Ms. Warisara, 27, husband and wife, under warrants No. J.354 and J.353/2569 dated 7 May 2026. They were charged with joint theft involving vehicle use at an unnumbered residence on Kamphaeng Phet 6 Soi 7, Intersection 3-5, Thung Song Hong Subdistrict, Lak Si District, Bangkok. The investigation extended to a rented apartment in Kosumruamjai 14 Soi, Don Mueang, Bangkok.
Seized evidence included one squirrel monkey named “Nong March,” one crocodile lizard, one tiger salamander, five pet snakes, one raccoon, one tortoise, and various other animals under examination. Many of these exotic animals were stolen from a well-known zoo in the Pinklao area.
This followed a tip from the Metropolitan Police Narcotics Suppression Unit about unusual activity reported by an informant in Don Mueang, noting that a husband and wife frequently carried animals into areas known for drug sales.
Recently, they were seen carrying a lizard to exchange for drugs with a dealer in the area. Upon receiving this information, Pol. Maj. Gen. Teeradej Thammasuthi dispatched the Narcotics Suppression Unit to investigate. They encountered the suspicious couple entering and exiting drug hotspots in Don Mueang.
Further investigation confirmed that the suspects were the couple involved. They had a history of repeatedly stealing animals throughout Bangkok and the metropolitan area. The investigation team reported to Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, who ordered a detailed examination. It was found that on 30 April 2026, the pair stole “Nong March,” a squirrel monkey and mascot of the Friends of Beasts Zoo in Bang Khen, and on 1 May 2026, they stole one crocodile lizard and one tiger salamander from the Pata Zoo in Pinklao.
Recently, Pol. Col. Athiwat Nuchthaworn, Chief of Bang Yi Khan Police Station, and Pol. Col. Anan Worasat, Chief of Bang Khen Police Station, led investigators from both stations to gather evidence and obtain arrest warrants for the two suspects. They were apprehended at the unnumbered residence in Kamphaeng Phet 6 Soi 7, Intersection 3-5. Following the arrest, a search uncovered various stolen animals ranging from squirrel monkeys to pythons. Authorities also raided the apartment in Kosumruamjai 14 Soi, Don Mueang, where the suspects hid animals intended for sale elsewhere.
They were found to have been jointly involved in three animal theft cases.
1. On 20 March 2026, they jointly stole 29 tortoises and one meerkat from beneath a victim's house in the jurisdiction of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station.
2. On 30 April 2026, they jointly stole “Nong March,” a squirrel monkey, from the Friends of Beasts Zoo, where it was a beloved mascot, in the jurisdiction of Bang Khen Police Station.
3. On 1 May 2026, they jointly stole one crocodile lizard and one tiger salamander from the Pata Zoo in Pinklao, under the jurisdiction of Bang Yi Khan Police Station.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Teeradej Thammasuthi, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, stated, "These actions are not only thefts of animals but are also linked to drug-related activities, which pose a broad threat to society. Authorities must urgently expand investigations into both the animal theft network and potential drug trafficking routes connected to these crimes in order to proceed with legal action."