Pattaya kidnap: Russian journalist extorted for over 2.5 million baht
The assailants used a decoy to enter, then burst in armed
A Russian journalist was left traumatised and nearly 2.5 million baht poorer after being kidnapped, assaulted, and extorted by a gang of fellow Russians.
The harrowing ordeal took place in Pattaya, with the victim, identified as David, a special correspondent for a Russian news agency, left with bruises and marks of assault.
Yesterday, June 26, at 9pm, Pattaya City Police received a distress call from 28 year old David who arrived at the police station visibly injured. The victim, who spoke through an interpreter, recounted a terrifying series of events that began early that morning.
Around 5am today, David, who was staying at a hotel in Jomtien, was ambushed in his room by a group of four Russian men. The assailants had planned the attack meticulously, using a decoy to gain access to his room before bursting in with guns drawn. They immediately restrained him with police-style handcuffs, blindfolded him with a black bag, and threatened him with violence, hitting him with a gun.
In a terrifying twist, the gang forced David to contact his wife in Bangkok while they recorded a disturbing video of him being assaulted, bruised, and battered. The video, which also featured threatening messages, was sent to his wife, along with a ransom demand. The perpetrators warned her that if she involved the police or failed to deliver the requested items, her husband would not survive.
In a state of panic, David’s wife agreed to the ransom terms. She placed a Rolex Daytona luxury watch, valued at about 600,000 baht, at a pre-arranged meeting point in Bangkok, along with the coordinates. When the time arrived, she captured an image of a suspicious man, dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants, believed to be one of the kidnappers, picking up the items.
But the extortion didn’t stop there. The gang continued to demand more money, this time in the form of Bitcoin, transferring over 1.9 million baht to a specified wallet. After receiving the ransom, the criminals dumped David in Pattaya, but not before assaulting him again and damaging the vehicle, reported Amarin TV.
Pattaya City Police have since detained some suspects and are working tirelessly to track down the rest of the gang. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage, gathering witness testimonies, and tracing the Bitcoin transaction to locate the remaining perpetrators.
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