Police arrest 2 men for allegedly trying to extort 2 million baht from a man
Police arrested 2 men, including a Thai soldier, who allegedly extorted a businessman, threatening to post obscene photos of him on social media if he didn’t give them 2 million baht.
31 year old Nawatkorn Pongassaphon and 31 year old Vorasart Lailang, a Thai army corporal, were arrested yesterday evening at a shopping centre in Nonthaburi, a suburb just outside Bangkok, on charges of colluding in extortion. Police seized a bag containing 2.1 million baht in cash along with 2 mobile phones and a computer. They were taken to the Rattanathibet station and police notified the soldier’s commander of his arrest.
A 57 year old owner of a food processing company, who was not identified by the media, filed a complaint with police at the Rattanathibet station saying that a random account sent him a message on the mobile app Line demanding that obscene photos would be posted if he did not pay up. The message appeared to be from a woman as it was written in Thai with the word “kha,” a participle used by women to make a sentence more formal and polite. Men use “khrap.”
“They are obscene pictures and I will not forward them to other people with malice against you if money is paid. I only want money and do not want to cause damage to you. If you pay, everything ends.”
The man received a message later that week on June 12 saying “2.1 million baht. I will come to get the money and delete the clip and clear up everything.” Another message was sent 4 days later, again with threats to post the photos and a video on social media.
After the numerous threats, the man filed a complaint with police. Working with police, the man met with the suspects at the shopping centre and handed a bag of money to 2 suspects. While the men were counting the money, police stepped in to arrest them.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
