Guard's story 'suspicious' : police

Police investigating the disappearance of Bt9.2 million in cash from a Krungthai Bank (KTB) armoured truck on Wednesday in Chiang Mai say the story of one of the three guards forgetting his wallet is suspicious.

The guards, Chatpong Uthayan, 36, team leader Sudpreecha Thongpan, 46, and driver Nattawat Sai-udon, 26, all deny any wrongdoing.

They told police they arrived to deliver money to KTB's Mae Rim branch at 8.38am. But, bank officials weren't there yet, so the guards left their truck in the bank's carpark and went for breakfast - a stop not on the truck's schedule.

Chatpong told police that he forgot his wallet and asked Sudpreecha for the key chain, which held all three keys including the safe key. He then went to the truck alone to retrieve his wallet.

When the three guards returned to the truck, they found that three cash bags were gone.

The carpark under the bank has security cameras only at the entrances. Out of the 18 vehicles parked there, police suspect an Isuzu D-Max pickup might be involved.

Provincial Police Region 5 deputy chief Chamnan Ruadrew personally followed the investigation at Mae Rim precinct.

KTB General Services Co Ltd executive Pipop Srisukkho said the truck took nine cash bags from KTB's Chang Pheuk branch to deliver to nine other branches. The missing three bags held a total of Bt9.2 million.

As for insurance claims, Pipop said it was a complicated issue as to who is at fault - the armoured truck guards, the bank or other factors. Pipop also said the guards are not supposed to let the team leader hold all three keys.