NAKHON PHANOM: An engineering student, 21, was arrested in Muang district on Tuesday night for allegedly stealing iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers worth about 200,000 baht from a Big C store.

The theft happened at Big C’s Nakhon Phanom branch at about 3am on Tuesday.

CCTV captured the thief, his face covered, trying in vain to break into a gold shop and an ATM.

The thief then turned to a mobile phone shop where he took two iPad tablet computers and four iPhone smartphones. The suspect left the store through its fire exit.

Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai Thungpao, chief of Nakhon Phanom police, said a mobile phone dealer later informed police that a man had appeared trying to sell iPhones, arousing suspicion.

Police then arrested the suspect at a rented room in Muang district. The 21-year-old man is a second-year engineering student at a local university.

Identified only as Tinakorn, a native of Renu Nakhon district, the suspect reportedly told police he stole the products because he had debts from online gambling. He entered the store through its roof structure and climbed down to the floor.