BANGKOK – A suspected burglar believed he had devised the perfect plan to rob a gold shop in a shopping mall by hiding inside until closing time. Dressed in an outfit resembling a character from the Scream movie series, he attempted the heist late at night. However, his plan had one major flaw—once inside the gold shop, he was unable to escape.

Thief Trapped Inside Gold Shop Overnight

Police easily arrested the suspect, Aesara (surname withheld), 21, after finding him trapped inside the Yaowarat gold shop in a shopping mall on the Chiang Mai-Lampang Superhighway in Chiang Mai’s Mueang district on Tuesday morning.

Aesara admitted to police that he had studied his target for three days in preparation for what he believed would be the perfect robbery. Travelling from Na Noi district in Nan province, he wore a black outfit and the infamous “Ghostface” mask from the Scream film series, intending to evade security cameras.

Burglar Hid in Mall Before Attempting Heist

Pol Col Yannapol Pattanachai, commander of Mae Ping police station, stated that the suspect parked his motorcycle at a petrol station opposite the mall before entering at 5 pm on Monday.

After hiding inside the mall until closing time, he changed into his black outfit and Ghostface mask. Using a metal bar, he pried open the lock on the retractable iron gate of the gold shop. Once inside, he pulled the gate shut behind him to avoid detection.

Failed Escape Leads to Swift Arrest

However, after grabbing several gold necklaces, he realised he could not lift the iron gate from the inside, as it was too close to the shop’s display counter. Desperate, he searched for another way out through the back of the shop but failed to find an escape route.

In the morning, staff arriving for work discovered him trapped inside. They secured the door with an additional lock and immediately called the police, leading to his swift arrest.

Asia News Network/The Nation