UPDATE: Phuket court issues warrant for Russian suspect in B600,000 currency theft
Police say a Russian national is wanted over the alleged theft of foreign currency worth about B600,000 from a safe at a currency exchange counter in Wichit.
A Phuket court has issued an arrest warrant for a 47-year-old Russian national accused of stealing foreign currency worth about B600,000 from a safe at a currency exchange counter in a shopping mall in Wichit.
Wichit police identified the suspect as Vitalii Kobin. The alleged theft took place on 19 July at an exchange shop inside a department store in Muang district, according to police.
Security footage reportedly shows a man entering the exchange booth, opening the safe and taking the cash before leaving within minutes. Investigators allege that he wore a false moustache, glasses and a cap to conceal his identity, and used a vehicle to assist the offence and escape.
Pol Col Somsak Thongkliang, superintendent of Wichit Police Station, confirmed on 28 July that the Phuket Provincial Court had approved the warrant. It was issued on 27 July on a charge of night-time theft involving the use of a vehicle to aid the crime and evade capture.
Police said Kobin has overstayed his visa since 2025 and is believed to still be in Thailand. Immigration and police units are coordinating efforts to locate him.
