Phatthalung, A robber brandished a fake gun and a hammer and robbed a gold shop in the middle of Phatthalung town. However, the shop owner fought back and was able to grab the robber by the neck before calling the police to take him into custody. CCTV footage in a gold shop in Phatthalung Province, in front of the fresh market in Phatthalung Municipality, recorded the incident when Mr. Worawit, 28, wearing a helmet to cover his face, entered the shop and committed the crime for less than 1 minute while there were 4 customers choosing to buy gold, including the gold shop owner and 3 sales staff. The perpetrator threatened him with a gun, then put the gun in his bag before using a hammer to smash the glass of the gold cabinet, damaging it, hoping to put the gold in his bag. But the brave gold shop owner jumped on top of the perpetrator and grabbed him by the neck. A female employee in the shop used a chair to restrain him. Another male employee sat on the perpetrator's legs before the police were notified to t ake control of the case. A search of his person and bag found a gun, a hammer, an axe, a folding knife, a police baton, and a plastic bottle, which are currently being investigated to determine what items are inside. Pattalung City Police revealed that the perpetrator claimed to be a police officer who had been dismissed from service in the 3 southern border provinces before riding a motorcycle around the gold shop and hiding the motorcycle in a temple near the gold shop before a sedan came to pick him up and take him to the gold shop. Police are urgently investigating CCTV footage to track down the sedan that picked up the culprit and took him to the gold shop. In addition, police have seized a black Honda motorcycle as evidence. As for Mr. Worawit, the suspect is a local in Tambon Phraekha, Amphoe Khuan Khanun, Phatthalung Province, and is not a former police officer who was dismissed from service in the 3 southern border provinces as claimed. He decided to commit the crime because he was in debt from o nline gambling. He had planned the crime 15 days in advance, including thinking up a plan and looking at an escape route. While Mr. Pathompong, the gold shop owner, revealed that he decided to fight the culprit because he clearly saw that it was a fake gun and he did not want to lose his property, so he had to catch him. However, he warned everyone not to be careless because if it was a real weapon, there could be losses. Source: Thai News Agency