Thai police officers held for extorting 2 million baht from Chinese
Eight people, comprising four police officers and a ranger, have been detained for allegedly abducting and extorting 2 million baht from seven Chinese men.
Reports from the area indicate that the Chinese men managed to alert their relatives by sending the location of a resort in Ubon Ratchathani’s Phibun Mangsahan district, where they were being held, using a mobile phone.
The victims allege they were taken by three officers from the Special Branch Bureau, an officer from the Border Patrol Police, a paramilitary ranger, and three civilians, including one individual from Myanmar. They claimed they were abducted from Chanuman district in Amnat Charoen and coerced into contacting their families to demand a ransom of 2 million baht (US$59,540) for their release.
Relatives of the victims, who were in Laos at the time, informed the Thai police of the situation, prompting the police in Phibun Mangsahan to conduct a rescue operation. The police raided the resort, freeing the victims and apprehending eight suspects.
According to the police, the victims had been enticed from Laos with false promises of lucrative employment in Thailand. Upon their arrival, the abductors threatened them and demanded a ransom of 2 million baht from their families, reported Bangkok Post.
The Chinese nationals were charged with illegal entry into Thailand, while the alleged abductors face charges of abuse of authority and misconduct. Media access to the police station was restricted to prevent photographs of the suspects, particularly the officials, from being taken.
In related news, on January 23, police arrested seven suspects, aged between 16 and 20 years old, for abducting a 25 year old woman from a condominium in the northern province of Chiang Mai, brutally assaulting her, and stealing her cash and mobile phone.
The 25 year old victim, Worrada, filed a complaint against seven suspects at Mae Ping Police Station. The incident occurred at around 9.30pm on January 16, when the gang confronted Worrada outside her condominium.
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