Nakhon Ratchasima cops halt 1 million baht kidnapping plot

Nakhon Ratchasima highway cops successfully intercepted and apprehended three suspects involved in the kidnapping of a young man from Surin, who allegedly aimed to extort 1 million baht. The suspects claimed to be political party officials and threatened harm to coerce the victim’s girlfriend into transferring money.

The police received a report that three men, posing as investigative officers, abducted a suspect named Trakarn. The suspects forced Trakarn into a black pickup truck and fled towards Nakhon Ratchasima. Upon receiving the alert, senior police officers directed their teams to pursue the vehicle.

When the vehicle reached Mittraphap Road, Highway 2, outbound towards Bangkok, the police spotted the black Isuzu D-Max pickup truck. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle for questioning, but the driver sped away, prompting a chase.

The police eventually managed to stop the truck and discovered 23 year old Trakarn Phonsalee who had been abducted from Surin.

The suspects included 26 year old Bannasit, claiming to be a commissioner investigating illegal activities, 26 year old driver, Kritchai, and a 16 year old boy.

Trakarn recounted that around 11.20pm yesterday, three men approached him, claiming to be officials from a political party investigating influential figures in Surin. The men accused Trakarn of selling kratom leaves and demanded 1 million baht to avoid prosecution.

Trakarn stated he only had 500,000 baht and suggested they collect the cash from his girlfriend. The suspects rejected this and forcibly dragged him into their vehicle, intending to take him to Bangkok.

The kidnappers used Trakarn’s mobile phone to send threatening messages to his girlfriend, warning that Trakarn would be harmed if the money was not transferred. They provided a bank account number for the transfer. Trakarn’s girlfriend promptly reported the incident to the authorities, leading to the rapid intervention by the highway police.

The kidnapping suspects were detained and handed over for further investigation and legal proceedings. Preliminary investigations suggest that this gang may have committed similar crimes against others. The police plan to expand their investigation to uncover further details, reported KhaoSod.