MAE SOT -Police Special Operations teams in Tak Province report they have taken down a gang known as “Dek Pret” after tracking a group of Myanmar youths accused of repeatedly crossing the border to steal motorcycles.
On Tuesday, Mae Sot Police Station chief Col. Rang Daodueng, Mae Sot district chief Kantapong Piphatmontrikun, soldiers from the Ratchamanu Task Force, and the Tak Provincial Police Special Operations team announced the results of a joint operation targeting the group.
Police Special Operations investigators say the gang slipped across the Thailand-Myanmar border, committed thefts during the day, then returned the same day. Over an 18-day stretch, police say 24 motorcycles were stolen in Mae Sot. The string of thefts left many owners dealing with the cost of loan payments, even though their bikes were gone.
After the thefts continued, Mae Sot police reviewed CCTV footage in border areas and spotted several suspects working together. The station then coordinated with district officials and the military to move in and stop the group.
Officials said they arrested four suspects. The alleged leader is 25 years old, and the youngest suspect is 14. Police recovered three motorcycles, while the rest were reportedly moved back across the border and sold.
Col. Rang said a special suppression team was set up and officers staked out high-risk areas. The suspects reportedly felt safe enough to return and steal motorcycles in central Mae Sot, where police surrounded and arrested them along with evidence.
Authorities believe more people were involved, and some escaped. Police say the group used Myanmar youths and trained them to use altered keys and break steering locks.
Investigators said each theft took less than two minutes before the motorcycles were taken out of town and moved across the border for resale. Mae Sot police said they will expand the investigation and pursue buyers who knowingly received stolen property.
Tak Provincial Police Commander Maj. Gen. Paisan Nanta ordered the provincial special operations unit to support local patrols in Mae Sot and help track down remaining suspects linked to the “Dek Pret” gang.
