Armed men force victim to transfer $2m in digital money, flee with security camera servers and his car
PUBLISHED : 15 Aug 2024 at 14:54
Police are hunting for four Chinese nationals who broke into a luxury house in Pathum Thani and forced their Chinese victim to transfer US$2 million (70 million baht) in digital money to them.
The incident occurred at a house in tambon Ban Mai in Muang district at about 2am on Wednesday morning. There were six residents in the house — three men and three women, police reported.
A victim, identified as Ke Jibao, a 35-year-old Chinese businessman, said he and his wife were asleep in their bedroom when four suspects wearing balaclavas broke into their house. Each of them was armed with a gun and a knife. Mr Ke, his wife and a maid were tied up by their hands and feet.
The intruders ordered Mr Ke to call a relative in China to transfer $2 million in digital money into their account. After confirming the transfer, they stole the house security camera servers that had recorded the incident and escaped with the victim’s black Toyota Alphard.
Mr Ke had a small knife wound on his right wrist, and a male servant, identified as Chen Mingfa, 26, had a facial wound after being struck on the forehead by a gun.
The stolen vehicle was later found parked near a power plant on Liap Khlong Prapa road at 1.30pm on Wednesday. The vehicle was transported to the Police Forensic Science Centre 1 for investigation.
Mr Ke told investigators he did not know the motive for the armed robbery, nor how the gang had come to know his relative.
Police said the robbery was well-planned since the suspects had managed to get into the housing estate without a vehicle, so they did not have to show an identity card to security guards.
Pol Col Narong Iamrahong, commander of the Pak Khlong Rangsit station, said investigators were now looking at footage from other security cameras in the area to track the suspects.
The victims and neighbours would also be called for further questioning, he said.