Metropolitan police, dressed as ghosts, arrested a suspected thief, who had intended to celebrate Halloween with his girlfriend at a department store in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Identified only as “Wanchai” or “Man”, aged 32, is suspected of theft from a restaurant in the Silom area on October 20.

Pol Maj Gen Teeradej Thumsutee, a metropolitan police commander, said he received a tip that Wanchai would take his girlfriend to see a movie at a theatre in the department store in the Rama III area. He then assigned his team to dress like ghosts and to mingle with other movie goers there, according to INN news.

When they saw Wanchai, the team approached him and asked whether he wanted to take photos with them. When Wanchai agreed, they surrounded him, identified themselves and arrested him.

According to police, Wanchai said that he worked as a chef for almost ten years before getting the job at the restaurant. Working there for only one month, he had problems with his colleagues, so he resigned and allegedly stole five computer tablets and a laptop, worth a total of about Bt100,000.

Police said Wanchai has a criminal record, relating to drugs.