Pattaya —
A police officer has been arrested after allegedly extorting 700,000 baht from a group of Chinese nationals driving to Pattaya earlier last week.
First our previous story:
Pattaya police are investigating a video alleging that a group of men posing as police officers extorted 700,000 baht from Chinese tourists on the Pattaya motorway.
Now for our update:
On July 19th, 2024, Chonburi Provincial Police Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Thirachai Chamnanmor, along with the Region 2 Police and Pattaya Police managed to locate the Chinese victims, who were initially hesitant to come forward after allegedly being extorted by a group of men posing as police on a highway heading to Pattaya.
The two victims, identified as Mr. Jin Chui, 43, and Mr. Chen Wei, 44, were found hiding in a condominium in Jomtien, Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Chonburi province. In a surprising twist, the two men were not tourists but were reportedly wanted in China for gambling-related offenses, and had illegally entered Thailand from Laos in December 2023, Pol. Maj. Gen. Thirachai said.
Mr. Chui and Mr. Wei crossed the Mekong River into Chiang Rai province and subsequently made their way to Pattaya. The reason they did not file a police complaint regarding the extortion was likely due to their fear of arrest, Pol. Maj. Gen. Thirachai noted.
The Banglamung Police initially detained the two men for illegal entry. During their interrogation, the victims also described their extortion ordeal, leading to the arrest of Pol Sgt Thitiwat Rujirawong. He faces charges of abuse of power, coercion, and illegal detention. The arrest warrant was issued around 10:45 AM on July 23rd by the Pattaya Provincial Court, and Pol Sgt Thitiwat was apprehended outside the Division 2 police headquarters in Bang Pla Soi, Mueang district, Chonburi. He has denied all allegations as of press time.
Additionally, reports suggest that four more suspects are set to be arrested, including one more police officer from the Crime Suppression Division and three civilians. Details about these individuals have yet to be disclosed.
