Songkhla, Police arrested a Belgian man who posed as a tourist and stayed at a hotel before stealing from foreign tourists. The police seized hundreds of thousands of baht in cash and other valuables. It was found that he had a history of committing crimes at tourist attractions in the South, including Koh Lanta, Krabi, and Phuket. Police from Songkhla Immigration, Hat Yai Tourist Police and Kho Hong Police Station joined forces to arrest Mr. Abdelali or Ali, 26 years old, a Belgian national, in a hotel room in Songkhla Province after he disguised himself as a tourist and stole property from tourists staying at several hotels in the famous southern tourist provinces of Krabi, Phuket and Songkhla. From the search of the room, evidence was found, including cash and several valuables, such as 52 1,000-baht Thai banknotes, totaling 52,000 baht, and other evidence, totaling 39 items, valued at approximately 200,000 baht, believed to be stolen property. When arrested, Mr. Ali firmly denied the charges, saying th at he had nothing to do with it and that he was just visiting. However, when the police contacted three Malaysian tourists to inspect the stolen property and confirmed that it was his, Mr. Abdelali was left with a stunned expression, having surrendered to witnesses and evidence. A background check revealed that Mr. Abdulali had previously committed theft in several areas, such as Koh Lanta District, Krabi Province, and Phuket Province. In addition, a check of his entry and exit data revealed that he had overstayed in the Kingdom of Thailand by 63 days. He was therefore taken to Songkhla City Police Station to be charged with being an alien in the Kingdom with an expired permit, according to the Immigration Act of 1979. Evidence will be collected to press additional charges of theft. Other tourists whose property was stolen will be contacted to provide additional information, as there are many other victims. Source: Thai News Agency