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Randy Capilipan Luste and Peter Paul Jr Dia Booroo Balladares, who were wanted on court-issued warrants, were taken into custody, along with Bt100,000 cash and several cellphone top-up cards on Monday night while allegedly trying to steal again on Yaowarat Road, said Metropolitan Police Area 6 chief Major General Wittaya Rattanawit yesterday.

Gold merchant Wirat Sirimaneetham, 58, had filed a police complaint that on August 6 he was carrying Bt307,000 in cash, which he intended to deposit in a bank only 20 metres away from his shop. One suspect pretended to stumble into Wirat causing him to drop his cellphone top-up cards. The suspect then held Warat's leg tightly as he gathered the cards, while the other pickpocketed the Bt100,000 cash from Wirat's back pocket. Both men then fled the scene. Wirat realised at the bank his cash was gone and filed a complaint at Plab Pla Chai 2 police station.

Police recognised the theft's similarity to the Filipino criminal gang's tactic known as "leg-shaking" that Bang Rak police had investigated several months earlier. They checked security camera footage from the scene and identified the duo as suspects and arrested them.

The men were charged with robbery and police are hunting for accomplices as the security cameras showed there might be more gang members.

The two Filipino men, on legally obtained tourist visas to Thailand, were said be renting in Khao San Road for three months.