Dutch man gets arrested after stealing ATM by towing it away with pickup truck following argument with wife
A Dutch man in Thailand has been arrested after a bizarre attempt to steal an ATM by dragging it away with his pickup truck, following a heated argument with his wife over money.
According to Thailand’s Khaosod, the incident took place in the early hours of Sunday (21 Sept) in Udon Thani’s Muang district.
Local media identified the man as 60-year-old Sijtse.
Argument with wife over failing restaurant business leads to theft
According to the Bangkok Post, the theft stemmed from a domestic dispute.
Sijtse and his Thai wife, Waraporn, had invested around 10 million baht (S$400,000) into their restaurant business, but financial troubles reportedly led to frequent quarrels.
Source: ศูนย์ข่าวทานตะวัน ขอนแก่น on Facebook
On the night of the incident, Sijtse stormed out of their home, telling his wife he was heading to Nong Khai province to meet friends. Instead, he allegedly targeted an ATM in town.
Waraporn only discovered what had happened the next morning, when police called her to say her husband had been caught.
ATM chained & dragged 20 metres down the road
Police later found Sijtse near the scene, with the ATM chained to the back of his pickup truck.
The heavy machine had been dragged roughly 20 metres from where it was installed outside a shop.
Source: ศูนย์ข่าวทานตะวัน ขอนแก่น on Facebook
Forensic teams collected fingerprints from both the ATM and the truck, while bank representatives lodged formal police charges.
Multiple charges & investigation
Authorities said Sijtse faces multiple charges, including theft, property damage, and using a vehicle in the commission of a crime.
If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison, with additional penalties possible due to the use of the pickup truck.
Police are also probing whether he acted alone or had accomplices.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from ศูนย์ข่าวทานตะวัน ขอนแก่น on Facebook.
