BANGKOK, April 10 — After two decades on the run, the man behind one of Malaysia’s biggest gold heists has finally been captured, following his daring robbery at a Hat Yai gold shop earlier this week.
The suspect, identified as Yee Boon Long, 61, also known by his Thai alias Anucha Sae Yor, had evaded capture for over 20 years after allegedly making off with 50 million baht (approximately RM6.5 million) worth of gold from a shop in Malaysia. At the time, the high-profile crime shocked the nation, as Yee disappeared without a trace, believed to have crossed into Thailand to avoid arrest.
His criminal trail, however, didn’t end there. Thai authorities revealed that Yee had also served time in Thailand for a separate gold shop robbery in Hat Yai back in January 2017. After serving his sentence, he was released in September 2023 and deported to Malaysia — but it appears he found his way back across the border.
On Tuesday, April 9, Yee allegedly struck again, targeting the Thai Udom 2 gold shop on Montri Road in downtown Hat Yai. CCTV footage showed the unmasked suspect posing as a customer before brandishing a firearm and seizing approximately 138 baht-weight (about 2.1 kilograms) of gold jewellery, valued at around 7 million baht.
He fled the scene on a motorcycle, abandoning the vehicle just 300 metres away in an attempt to throw off investigators.
His luck ran out less than 24 hours later. Thai police, acting swiftly, apprehended Yee at the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok’s Taling Chan district at 5.30pm on Wednesday. He is now in custody at the Crime Suppression Division for further interrogation.
Songkhla Provincial Court had approved an arrest warrant earlier the same day.
“This is a major breakthrough. The suspect had a history of operating under multiple identities and was a high-risk repeat offender,” said Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, Chief of the Central Investigation Bureau.
Thai police confirmed that Yee’s criminal record spans both Malaysia and Thailand, with investigators now working closely with Malaysian authorities to re-examine the unsolved 20-year-old case.
As Yee faces a fresh round of charges, both countries may finally close the chapter on one of the region’s most notorious serial gold heist offenders.