The police recovered the missing nine-month-old baby in Rayong province late last night after he was reported as kidnapped from his home in Bangkok’s Bang Na area yesterday afternoon. The baby has been returned safely to his grandparents.
The quick and safe recovery of the child is being credited to Ekkaphob Luangprasert, an advisor to the interior minister and the founder of the Sai Mai Tong Rod web page, as well as the accounts of witnesses who reported seeing the suspected kidnapper and the baby at different locations.
Authorities also reviewed CCTV footage from Mor Chit bus terminal, which showed the suspect carrying a baby around the ticket booth of the mini bus service.
Ekkaphob mentioned that the grandparents of the baby informed him that the suspected kidnapper used to frequently interact with the baby and had asked them to bring the baby to a nearby convenience store before they went missing.
He then accompanied the grandparents to the police station to report the kidnapping. His website received tips from eyewitnesses who claimed to have seen the suspect with the baby at various places.
Around 11.30pm last night, an image of a man with a baby on a bus was sent to the Sai Mai Tong Rod website. Ekkaphob confirmed that the man in the picture was the same person who abducted the baby and promptly informed the authorities.
The suspect was located with the baby at the Rayong bus terminal around midnight. The baby was unharmed and was returned to his grandparents, while the suspect was taken into custody for questioning.
