Chinese nationals ‘targeted’ compatriot
Three Chinese nationals have been arrested for abducting a compatriot and extorting about 3.2 million baht from her, police say.
Police said two men and one woman were arrested on Saturday at a hotel in Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district and brought to Thong Lor police station in Bangkok for interrogation.
Pol Lt Gen Thiti Saengsawang, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, yesterday identified the suspects as Ran Xioayong, 52; Nie Lijiao, 25; and Zeng Bo, 42.
They were charged with conspiring to abduct and detain other people for extortion, he added, noting an investigation is underway to determine whether more people are involved with the Chinese gang.
The arrests followed a complaint filed with Thong Lor police on Friday by a 32-year-old Chinese woman who was studying for a bachelor’s degree.
The victim said she had dinner on Thursday night with a Chinese woman she met recently, at a restaurant in the Ekamai area.
After the meal, she said she was led to a car park where a black Toyota Alphard was waiting.
There, one Chinese man forced the victim at knifepoint into the vehicle, while another Chinese man was behind the wheel. Her companion also entered the van.
After the vehicle drove off, the man with the knife forced her to transfer RMB250,000 (1.2 million baht) and 8,000 cryptocurrency coins with her mobile phone, she said.
The victim and the other woman spent the night in the van with the two men.
That night, one of the men forced the victim to call her boyfriend in China to transfer another 50,000 crypto coins to her account before they were stolen, she said.
On Friday morning, the two men let the women go in the Min Buri area of Bangkok, after extorting about a total of 3.2 million baht from the victim.
The victim filed a complaint with Thong Lor police after separating from the woman suspect.
Thong Lor police went to the restaurant in Ekamai to review security footage and saw one showing two Chinese women entering a Toyota Alphard. Based on the footage, police suspect the other woman acted as bait in an extortion plan.
Police later found the vehicle had been leased from a rental shop for use from March 15–17 for 5,000 baht per day. The vehicle was returned to the shop on Friday, police said.
The trio are suspected to be part of a Chinese gang. Police said that before she was arrested in Sa Kaeo, the woman was picked up by the two male suspects in Bangkok.
Pol Lt Gen Thiti said Mr Ran was the one who forced the victim to get in the van, while Ms Nie acted as bait and Mr Zeng drove.
Police said the trio stayed at a hotel in Pattaya before leaving for Sa Kaeo, where they stayed at the Hitz Hotel.