Ketchup gang confess to string of robberies

Police in Thailand have arrested a gang who allegedly stole $13,000 using only tomato ketchup.

Two Mexicans and a Venezuelan have been arrested in Bangkok accused of stealing 650,000 baht ($13,000) from a bank customer after distracting his attention by staining him with ketchup.

Police told the English-language daily The Nation the latest victim of the ketchup-wielding gang, who came from Mali, was targeted on Thursday as he waited in a queue to make a bank deposit.

The police said one of the gang members spilled the ketchup on the victim's clothes and the other two rushed over to help clean it up.

The trio snatched a bag containing the money and fled the scene.

The gang members, who were arrested on Friday, confessed to committing similar robberies at several banks and jewellery shops.