BANGKOK: Police rescued three Indian tourists from a townhouse in Pattaya on Monday (July 27) after they were allegedly abducted, restrained and held for ransom by a transnational gang.
Chonburi Immigration Police and Pattaya City Police raided the two-storey property in a housing estate on Soi Phatthanakan in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, at 4.09pm.
Officers found three Indian men, identified as Mohit, 23, Ashish, 24, and Himanshu, 20, being held separately on the second floor.
Police reported that their hands and feet had been bound and their mouths covered with adhesive tape to prevent them from calling for help.
The men showed signs of having been assaulted. Police also found red spray paint that investigators believe was used to stage the appearance of injuries in photographs and videos sent to their relatives.
Adhesive tape and a wooden object allegedly used in the assaults were seized as evidence.
Pol Lt Col Kawinwat said the investigation began after the Indian Embassy in Thailand contacted Chonburi Immigration Police and Pattaya City Police on July 21.
Relatives of the victims had reported that the men were being held by a gang. They also provided evidence from video calls showing the victims restrained and allegedly assaulted.
The kidnappers allegedly demanded 4 million rupees, or about 1.4 million baht, for each victim.
Investigators reviewed security-camera footage and other information until they identified the suspected place of detention.
Police entered the property and rescued the three men safely, although a suspect guarding the house escaped on a motorcycle.
Investigators believe five people took part in the operation. They were described as Pakistani and Indian nationals, and police said all had been identified and were being pursued.
The victims told investigators that they had bought a Pattaya travel package from a person claiming to be a tour operator.
After arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the early hours of July 21, they were allegedly persuaded to take a taxi to Sukhumvit Road in central Pattaya.
A motorcycle then collected each tourist separately. The victims were reportedly told they were being taken to check into a hotel and have breakfast, but were instead driven to the townhouse.
They alleged that gang members waiting inside threatened them with a knife, restrained them and held them one at a time.
The suspects then allegedly telephoned and made video calls to the victims’ relatives to demand ransom payments.
The tourists told police they were threatened with death if they resisted or contacted the authorities. The suspects also allegedly claimed that police officers were protecting the gang, leaving the captives too frightened to fight back.
The three men told investigators that another Indian national had already been held at the property before they arrived.
That person was allegedly released after relatives paid about 3 million rupees.
The victims described the gang as comprising four Pakistani nationals and one Indian national. They thanked police for rescuing them safely.
Chonburi Immigration Police and Pattaya City Police are expanding the investigation and working to arrest all five suspects for prosecution.
Police said the case would be pursued firmly because of its potential effect on confidence in public safety and Pattaya’s tourism image. - The Nation/ANN
