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RUBY RAID
Brit, 59, arrested over daring Hollywood-style ruby heist after £23,000 gem is stolen sparking 12-hour hotel standoff
The alleged thief told people he had 'worked for the British government and killed people'
A BRIT accused of stealing a £23,000 ruby was dramatically arrested after a 12-hour standoff at a Bangkok hotel.
The 59-year-old Welsh man was tracked down in the Thai capital by a furious gem dealer - who turned up at the hotel with 10 to 15 private security guards.
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The Brit was eventually escorted out of the hotel by four Thai cops after he was searched and found with the precious stone on him.
The alleged thief was thrown into a nearby Thai prison and, according to the security team, now faces time behind bars.
Chris, who’s lived in the Thai capital for more than 15 years, watched the moment armed cops descended on the scene and it "started to kick off".
He told The Sun: "Private security cops started to appear in the morning hired by the gem dealer.
“They blocked off all the exits of the hotel but didn’t have the jurisdiction to arrest the guy."
The ruby was first reported as stolen after the man and his younger Thai girlfriend turned up to a gem store in Bangkok looking to buy the pricey jewel.
The shop owner and the Brit exchanged numbers and continued to chat about the lucrative trade over the phone.
Hours later, the ruby vanished from the shop.
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When the gem dealer's security team arrived at the hotel, they asked the Brit to come out and answer questions about the alleged theft - but he refused.
They waited for another eight hours outside his room until morning when armed cops were called in.
Chris explained: "They waited until the morning because they knew the Brit was scheduled to leave the hotel and we didn’t know his mental state.
"They then phoned the real police who turned up armed."
Four cops swooped on the hotel carrying handguns as they tried to get the Brit to leave his room and speak to them at the nearest police station.
As the police presence drew a crowd in the reception, the man still refused to come out.
It took the English-speaking hotel staff to finally convince him to open the door to avoid any further issues.
Chris said the man kept on telling people how he was a "mercenary soldier" and had "worked for the British government and had killed people".
“I felt anxious because nobody knew if he was armed, if he would surrender peacefully or not,” he said.
“The hotel door was open when I arrived at the scene and the cops were pleading with him to leave the room.”
The Brit left calmly after spending an anxious five minutes packing his bags.
According to Chris, he was "speaking gibberish as he left".
Cops found the ruby on the man and it was returned to the gem dealer in a safe condition.
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A FCDO spokesperson said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following the arrest of a British man in Thailand."
The Sun has contacted the Royal Thai Police for comment.
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