5-5-2024 (BANGKOK) In a startling development, Thai authorities have apprehended a Chinese-language interpreter for his alleged involvement with a notorious abduction gang operating in the Din Daeng area of Bangkok. The arrest, made on Friday, sheds light on the intricate web of criminal activities plaguing the city.
According to Pol Maj Gen Noppasin Poonsawat, the deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) commissioner, the interpreter, identified as 36-year-old Theerachai Chaloemwanpen, was taken into custody by a joint operation conducted by the MPB and Metropolitan Police Division 1. He was subsequently transferred to the Din Daeng police station.
Theerachai has confessed to his role in the crimes perpetrated by the syndicate, which orchestrated the kidnapping of five Chinese nationals from a hotel room in Soi Pracha Songkroh 2, also known as Soi Sutthiporn, on April 25th.
Shockingly, the interpreter was allegedly employed by Pol Sgt Maj Weerayut Phetcharat, a traffic constable attached to the Phaya Thai police station, to work as an interpreter for the abducted Chinese individuals. Theerachai reportedly received a lucrative weekly wage of 15,000 baht for his services, as revealed by Pol Maj Gen Noppasin.
The abduction saga unfolded when the five Chinese businessmen were forcibly taken from the hotel, prompting the gang to demand a staggering ransom of 2.5 million baht in digital currency for their release.
Chilling CCTV footage captured the moment when a gang of 11 individuals, including current and former police officers, carried out the brazen abduction using four vehicles.
The victims, who managed to report the incident to the Din Daeng police station four days later, on April 29th, provided crucial leads that led to the issuance of five arrest warrants, implicating Theerachai, Pol Sgt Maj Weerayut, and Atthawut Sumonrattanakul, a former senior sergeant major at the Kannayao police station.
Atthawut, who had been suspended from his position a couple of years ago, was apprehended on Friday. However, he declined to provide any evidence to the police, stating that he would only testify in court, as disclosed by Pol Maj Gen Noppasin. Alarmingly, Pol Sgt Maj Weerayut remains at large, having evaded the warrant issued for his arrest.
Authorities are now intensifying their efforts to track down the remaining six members of the gang, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the urgent need to dismantle this criminal network.
