3 Thai men posing as MFP members arrested on kidnap for ransom

Police arrested three Thai men after they posed as members of the Move Forward Party (MFP) and kidnapped a victim in the Isaan province of Surin, demanding a ransom of 1 million baht.

A Thai woman filed a complaint at Mueang Surin Police Station on June 10, reporting that her boyfriend, Trakarn, was kidnapped while working at their store in Surin province. Trakarn was taken from his store in a pickup, heading towards Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Officers reviewed security camera footage and identified the vehicle as a black Isuzu pickup truck. They then coordinated with highway police officers to intercept the vehicle.

The suspicious vehicle was later spotted on the Friendship Highway, heading towards Bangkok. Highway police ordered the driver to halt at a checkpoint but the driver accelerated in an attempt to flee.

Officers eventually pursued the pickup and managed to bring it to a stop. Three suspects were discovered in the vehicle: 26 year old Bansit, 26 year old Kritchai, and a 16 year old teenager whose identity was not disclosed. The victim, Trakarn, was found unharmed.

Trakarn recounted the incident to the police, stating that the three suspects arrived at his store at 11.20pm on June 10 and introduced themselves as members of the MFP. They accused him of illegally selling kratom leaves and demanded he pay 1 million baht to avoid legal charges.

Suspects’ arrest

Trakarn said he only had 500,000 baht with him and asked the suspects to get the rest of the money from his girlfriend. The suspects refused to meet the woman and immediately took Trakarn in their pickup.

The criminals then used Trakarn’s mobile phone to contact his girlfriend and threatened to kill him if she did not give them the requested amount. The woman secretly reported the incident to the police, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.

Police are now questioning the three men to determine their motive. The results of the questioning have not yet been made public.

One of the suspects, Bansit, presented an MFP membership card but it was not confirmed whether he was a real member or not.

In a related report, the Constitution Court is currently considering dissolving the MFP on accusations of posing a threat to both the monarchy and the democratic form of government with the king as head of state. The outcome of the consideration is expected to drag on even more after the court today asked for more information.