Three Indian tourists were rescued from a house in Pattaya after they were allegedly held captive for several days while a gang demanded ransom money from their families, police said today, July 28.
The victims were found inside a two-storey townhouse during a joint operation involving Pattaya police, immigration officers and members of the Indian Community Pattaya. Police said the suspects fled on motorcycles before officers entered the property.
Officers found two of the tourists in an upstairs bedroom with their hands and feet tied behind their backs and tape covering their mouths. A third victim was discovered in another room in the same condition.
All three had visible injuries. Their ankles were badly bruised after allegedly being beaten with a wooden stick, while one victim had spray paint applied to parts of his body to make it appear he was bleeding.
After being rescued, the men immediately contacted relatives in India to tell them they were safe. The victims were identified as 23 year old Himanshu, 24 year old Ahis and 26 year old Meghid.
Through an interpreter, the three men told police they had purchased a seven-day package tour to Thailand for around 70,000 baht each. They arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on July 21 and took a taxi to Pattaya. An Indian national then collected them one by one on motorcycles and took them to the townhouse.
The victims alleged they were restrained by four Pakistani nationals and one Indian national, who tied their hands and feet, gagged them with tape and hung them upside down.
They alleged the group repeatedly beat them and forced them to contact relatives in India using satellite communications while demanding a combined ransom of nearly 10 million Indian rupees (about 3.5 million baht) in exchange for their release.
The tourists told police that during more than five days in captivity, they were denied food, water and access to a toilet, and were beaten every day.
Police said the operation began after relatives of the victims contacted Thai officers from India to report that the men had allegedly been abducted for ransom.
Investigators said tracing the suspects proved difficult because the calls to the victims’ families were made using telephone numbers connected to a network in the United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai. Police eventually tracked the suspects to the townhouse, but the group fled before officers could make arrests.
Police believe five suspects were involved, comprising four Pakistani nationals and one Indian national. Officers are continuing to investigate and are working to identify and locate those responsible, reported Khaosod.
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