Pattaya police are investigating a robbery at gun point of two Koreans by 10 men alleged to be impersonating police officers.
Daniel Park, 35, and Lim Sanghyeok, 31, reported the armed robbery, which occurred at a condominium in Soi Siam Country Club, to Bang Lamung police station at 1.30am on Sunday.
According to police, Mr Park and Mr Lim were watching a football match on television in their room on the seventh floor on Saturday night when they heard some men knock on their door and claim to be police officers. Mr Lim opened the door and saw about 10 men, some wearing black jackets. One of the men showed the pair what he claimed to be a police ID card.
The men accused Mr Park and Mr Lim of using their room to operate an illegal gambling den, a charge they denied. They demanded to be allowed to call Pattaranand Pongwilai, 61, a Thai friend of Mr Park and Mr Lim, but this was refused.
One of the men drew a gun and ordered Mr Park and Mr Lim to give them one million baht to avoid being arrested. If they refused they would be kidnapped and killed. Fearing for their lives, Mr Park and Mr Lim said they only had 300,000 baht. The gang accepted that amount and one of the Koreans asked his Thai girlfriend to transfer the money to the gang’s bank account. (Story continues below)
CCTV footage captures some of the men alleged to be robbers by Mr Park and Mr Lim.
Sornram Nigorata, 23, the condominium’s security guard, told police the 10 men arrived in a black pickup truck with a Chon Buri licence plate, Kor Por-6979, a white car with the Chon Buri licence plate of 1 Kor Lor-2243 and a motorcycle with an unknown licence plate.
“They identified themselves as police officers on duty, so I let them in,” Mr Sornram said.
Nong Prue police said they initially acquired information about the incident from Mr Pattaranand due to a language barrier and the case will be reinvestigated. Police will conduct a more thorough inquiry of the Koreans about the incident through an interpreter later in the day as well as collecting evidence at the condominium.
Police will also check if the Koreans have had any personal conflict with or owed money to the gang which resulted in them being attacked.
At 1pm, Pol Col Jitawut Tantasri, chief of Nong Prue station, said investigators could not contact Mr Park or Mr Lim as both had left the room after being asked for the transactional slip of the money transfer along with their passports.
Police are working on a theory that the gang, a mix of Thais and Koreans, came to the pair’s room to collect debts incurred from gambling.
