Laos police arrest 10 in Vientiane robbery and kidnap case

VIENTIANE, July 5: Ten suspects have been apprehended by police in connection with a robbery last month in which victims were held at gunpoint in Vientiane’s Sikhottabong District, reports Laotian Times.

The arrests were made after a woman was abducted at gunpoint and forced to bring assailants to her home, where valuable items were stored.

Chief of the Police Department, Minister of Public Security Khamking Phouilamanivong, said during a recent National Assembly Session that there were 13 people involved in the robbery, of whom ten have been apprehended, local media reported.

Security camera footage shared on social media shows the woman being led by four men to the door of her home.

With her wrists tied, she was forced to enter, followed by three of the men.

Upon entering the home, the woman took the men to a safe where they retrieved some 22 items worth thousands of dollars, including gold necklaces, diamond jewelry, watches, and the keys to at least one vehicle.

The CCTV footage shows that gunshots were fired by the assailants in the home.

The woman’s father, who was resting, awoke and confronted the robbers before they fled the scene.

No injuries or deaths were reported despite the shot fired.