PHUKET: A Finnish tourist in Phuket swindled his parents out of 7,000 euros by pretending he had been arrested and needed that amount to be released, police have said.
Pol Lt Col Ekachai Siri, a superintendent of tourist police on the southern island, said police received a complaint on Friday that the parents of a Finnish man, 27, had lost contact with their son after being informed that police were extorting money from him.
On Saturday police managed to find the Finnish man and another compatriot aged 34.
The superintendent said that when brought to the Patong police station, the two admitted to interrogators that one of them had lied to his parents, saying he had been arrested by local police, who were demanding 7,000 euros to release him.
While unable to contact their son, the parents received a call from a person claiming to be a Phuket policeman who told them to transfer 7,000 euros to an account.
Pol Lt Col Ekachai said both Finnish men arrived in the country on June 28. Their tourist visas expired on July 27 and they did not seek to extend their stay.
Both visitors were charged with overstaying their visas, while the parents of one of the Finnish tourists were informed that their son was safe, Pol Lt Col Ekachai said.