Phuket Police Investigate Russian Suspects in Kidnapping Case

PHUKET, Feb 1 (TNA) — Phuket police investigators are questioning four Russian suspects involving in the kidnapping case of a Russian couple, demanding crypto currency worth some 30 million baht as ransom.

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum who led the team of investigators said after the interrogation that the four Russian suspects jointly kidnapped two Russian victims – male and female and forced them to transfer 900,000 bitcoin or around 30 million baht to them.

Gen. Sinlert said the indicent occured at around 10pm of January 31 when the two victims were forced to be in a van in front of a restaurant near Lo Rong intersection in Phuket provincial seat. The kidnappers demanded the ransom from the victims and they were eventually freed unharmed after the payment was transfered. The victims then called the police to find the criminals.

The police later managed to arrest four suspects. Two were detained at their resident and the rest were arrested at the Pnuket Internatinal Airport while they were about to leaving the country.

Gen. Sinlert said that after questioning both sides, it was initially found that all are Russians and travel to Phuket as tourists and the two victims said they did not know each other before. He said the police have to further investigate and gathering more evidences to get into the details of the case. He added that more time is needed as they did not speak English and the Russian translator was brought in to help communication. (TNA)