Five Indian men were arrested in Bangkok for allegedly kidnapping three compatriots who had been lured to Thailand with the promise of a cheap holiday package.
The victims were held captive for a week and tortured as kidnappers demanded ₹70 lakh from their families. Police said the plot was directed by a Pakistani mastermind operating from Dubai, the Bangkok Post reported.
The five suspects, Avtar Singh (38), Jagjit Singh (38), Rambalak Kumar (24), Sukhbir Singh (37) and Kulra Singh (27), were arrested at a hotel in Bangkok's Khlong Tan area while they were allegedly waiting to board an outbound flight. They were acting on the instructions of a Pakistani national, whom they had allegedly been in contact with through an app for about a month.
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According to investigators, the alleged mastermind, based in Dubai, coordinated the operation remotely and planned to receive ransom payments through digital money transfers.
The Indian suspects were allegedly tasked with abducting the victims, collecting their valuables and cash, and were promised air tickets to flee Thailand after completing the operation.
Victims lured with cheap Thailand tour package
{{/usCountry}}The Indian suspects were allegedly tasked with abducting the victims, collecting their valuables and cash, and were promised air tickets to flee Thailand after completing the operation.
Victims lured with cheap Thailand tour package
{{/usCountry}}According to Thai police, the three Indian victims, aged between 23 and 26, were allegedly lured to Thailand with the promise of a low-cost seven-day holiday package. Each reportedly paid around 70,000 baht ( ₹1,99,890) for the tour.
The victims arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on July 21 and travelled by taxi to Pattaya. They reached a meeting point at a fast-food restaurant on Sukhumvit Highway in Nongprue, where an Indian man allegedly took them one by one on a motorcycle to a house in Bang Lamung district.
That's where they were held hostage, police said.
Held captive and tortured for a week
Investigators said the victims were locked inside two bedrooms with their hands, legs and mouths tied. When police rescued them, officers found injuries and bruises on their ankles, which they said might have formed with repeated beatings.
The victims told police they were tortured every day. They were allegedly being hung face down and beaten on their ankles. They also alleged they were denied food and toilet breaks and were forced to call their families in India to demand a combined ransom of ₹70 lakh (about 2.4 million baht).
Thai police rescued the three men on Monday evening after their relatives in India contacted authorities for help.
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Dubai link uncovered during investigation
Thai investigators said the gang used a phone number registered in Dubai to hide its location while coordinating the kidnapping. Detectives later traced the suspects to the house where the victims were being held.
The kidnappers escaped on motorcycles shortly before police reached the property. The investigation later led officers to the five Indian suspects, who were arrested at a hotel in Bangkok while allegedly trying to leave Thailand.
Police said the victims told investigators they had been held captive by a group of four Pakistanis and one Indian man.