Man Arrested for Stealing Cassava to Buy Milk for Child
A 25-year-old man was arrested for stealing cassava to buy milk for his three young children, claiming poverty drove him to take from farmers' fields in Ko Lanta.
Police arrested a 25-year-old man on August 4, 2569 for stealing cassava roots from local farmers' fields. The suspect, identified as Mr. A (pseudonym), was caught with stolen cassava and admitted to the crime, saying he had no money to buy milk for his children and came from an impoverished household. He explained that he normally collected leftover cassava heads after harvesting, but when those became unavailable, he resorted to stealing from actively cultivated fields, netting 300 baht from this latest theft. He expressed remorse and accepted legal responsibility.
The suspect's wife later visited him with their three children—ages 4, 3, and 2 years old—at the police station. Moved by the family's hardship, officers purchased rice and milk for the children. The wife explained that the family typically survived by collecting and selling leftover cassava, and she was unaware her husband would resort to theft. She expressed worry about how she and the three children would survive if he were imprisoned.
According to Deputy Inspector Rangsiwat Gangsrannon, approximately one ton of cassava was stolen, and investigations are ongoing to determine if the suspect committed similar thefts elsewhere. Although officers sympathize with the suspect's circumstances, theft is a criminal offense that must be prosecuted under agricultural property law—which carries heavier penalties than general theft. The suspect has been charged under the Penal Code, Section 335.
