5 Indians held in Thailand for abducting 3 tourists, demanding Rs 40 lakh ransom each

Five Indian nationals have been arrested in Thailand for allegedly abducting three fellow-countrymen and demanding a ransom for their release, according to a local media report.

The five suspects were arrested at a hotel in Bangkok's Khlong Tan area on Tuesday (July 28) while they were waiting to board an outbound flight, the Bangkok Post reported, citing the police.

The suspects were identified as Avtar Singh (38), Jagjit Singh (38), Rambalak Kumar (24), Sukhbir Singh (37), and Kulra Singh (27).

Dubai-based Pakistani alleged mastermind

The suspects told investigators that they were instructed by a Pakistani national, whom they had known through a chat application over the past month, to abduct the three Indian men - all of them tourists.

The alleged mastermind is believed to be based in Dubai and had planned to receive ransom payments in cryptocurrency, according to the report.

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The police told the press that the accused were promised valuables, cash, and airline tickets to leave Thailand after carrying out the operation.

Lured to Pattaya through low-cost holiday package

The victims were allegedly lured to Pattaya through what was advertised as a low-cost seven-day Thailand tour package priced at Rs.1.99 lakh. The three young men reportedly arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan Province, Bangkok on the morning of July 21, and took a taxi to Pattaya.

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They were then taken to a house, one by one, where they were held captive for several days and tortured before being rescued by police on Monday evening (July 27), the report added.

Indian embassy alerted Thai Police

The investigation began after the Indian Embassy in Thailand alerted Chonburi Immigration Police and Pattaya City Police on July 21 following complaints from the victims' relatives, The Nation newspaper reported.

The relatives reportedly shared video call recordings showing the victims with their hands and feet bound and allegedly being assaulted. The abductors demanded a ransom of Rs 40 lakh (USD 41,831) from the family of each victim, the report said.

The rescue

Acting on intelligence and security camera footage, police raided a two-storey townhouse in Pattaya on Monday and rescued the three Indian men - identified as Mohit (23), Ashish (24), and Himanshu (20).

The police traced the phone numbers used by the gang and discovered that they had been registered in Dubai.

Police told the newspaper that the victims were found confined separately on the second floor of the house with their hands and feet tied and their mouths taped. They also bore signs of assault. The victims alleged that they were tortured for a week and were denied food and water.

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Investigators recovered adhesive tape, a wooden object allegedly used in the assaults, and red spray paint, which they believe was used to stage photographs and videos of the victims that were sent to their families to pressure them into paying the ransom, the report added.

According to the report, the rescued men told investigators that another Indian national had been held captive at the same property before they arrived and was allegedly released after his relatives paid about Rs 30 lakh in ransom.

(With agency inputs)