A notorious macaque known for stealing underwear has been captured in Thailand.

The infamous 'pervert macaque' Ai Wang was among the monkeys caught in a wildlife operation on May 16 to round up the rampaging animals that had overtaken Lopburi province.

Duanphen Siriarayapan, 62, the owner of a local clothes shop, said Ai Wang had been scaring off her customers whenever it pilfered undergarments from her store.

In her desperation, she had placed a 500 THB (11 GBP) bounty on Ai Wang before he was finally detained.

Duanphen said: 'I'm thankful that the authorities have finally caught Ai Wang. I never want to see that monkey again. I hope they sterilise it too so it doesn't produce offspring.'

The ringleader of the macaque troop, Ai Chok, was also captured.

Authorities said 27 macaques were relocated to the Bodhi Kao Ton Monkey Park.

Staff said the animals were 'cohabiting peacefully' in an enclosure, and were provided enough food so they don't have to compete for resources.

Lopburi has become a popular tourist destination because of its large population of monkeys. The monkeys are mostly long-tailed macaques, and they can be found all over the city, from the temples to the streets.

However, they can also be aggressive, and they have been known to steal food and belongings.