Two twenty-year-old Burmese nationals were arrested in Koh Samui after stealing tourists' motorbikes to dismantle and resell them as parts.
On 26 July, investigators from the Bophut police station arrested Mr Aung Kaung and Mr Aung Ko, both aged 20 and of Burmese nationality.
The two men are suspected of having stolen, two days earlier, a yellow Honda Super Cub scooter belonging to a Chinese tourist, Mr Qi Bin, 45. The vehicle had been taken from outside his accommodation in the Lamai area.
According to investigators, the suspects quickly dismantled the scooter to alter its appearance and sell the parts. During the search, officers seized numerous bodywork and engine components matching two two-wheelers, as well as a grey Scoopy used in the offence.
Confronted with the parts recovered, Mr Qi Bin expressed shock at the state of his scooter:
« They completely dismantled it. There is almost nothing left », he said.
The police had to call in a mechanic to reassemble the vehicle and return it to him.
The two suspects have been charged with « aggravated theft of a motor vehicle committed at night with the use of a means of transport ». Investigators believe they may be involved in several other scooter thefts on the island.