PUBLISHED: 22 Oct 2024 at 19:30
UPDATED: 22 Oct 2024 at 19:38
In a shocking criminal incident, a Chinese couple has been apprehended for their involvement in a kidnapping and ransom scheme that targeted two compatriots, including an ex-husband. The ransom demanded amounted to approximately 12 million baht.
Pol Maj Gen Nopasilp Poolsawat, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, confirmed the identification of the suspects as Liu Bomr and Du Yangzhen, among a total of six individuals connected to the case.
According to investigations, Du, the female suspect, was a former spouse of one of the victims. She disclosed to the police that she informed her current husband about having faced abuse at the hands of her ex-partner. This revelation incited her current husband to seek vengeance through criminal means.
The husband reached out to another Chinese individual named Tong, who enlisted three Myanmar nationals to join their plot. The group convened at a rented residence in the Lat Phrao-Wang Hin area of Bangkok to strategize their crime.
Last Saturday, the woman contacted her ex-husband, instructing him to prepare 3.2 million baht in cash under the pretense of a cryptocurrency transaction.
Shortly after, a five-man armed gang stormed the premises of Anget Property (Thailand) Co—a rented house located on Ratchadaphisek 24 Road in Huai Khwang district, Bangkok. They seized the cash and kidnapped both the man and another Chinese national, transporting them to Nakhon Nayok province.
Once there, the gang issued threats against the lives of the victims, demanding a further transfer of USDT270,000 (approximately 9 million baht).
Following the transfer of the additional ransom, the victims were released in Bangkok on Sunday. The suspects returned to their rented house, where they divided the stolen money. Liu and his wife subsequently made their way to Pattaya before heading back to Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province.
Liu was arrested upon attempting to check in for a flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Monday night. Du was taken into custody at their rented residence, where police discovered plastic handcuffs and clothing associated with the kidnapping. Both suspects confessed to their roles in the crime.
Pol Maj Gen Nopasilp revealed that four additional suspects managed to escape to Cambodia via Chanthaburi province and that police are currently investigating the victims’ property company to understand its operations concerning cryptocurrency exchange services and its funding sources.
Furthermore, Immigration Police Division 2 reported that Liu possessed a Cedeao passport, often referred to as an Ecowas passport, which is a common travel document issued by members of the Economic Community of West African States. The victims have been identified as Xie Chuanqi and Xie Chuanfa.
