An Indian scam gang has been arrested in Thailand after abducting two fellow countrymen and demanding a ransom of 2.5 million rupees (approximately 976,000 baht) for each victim.
Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, confirmed the arrest of six Indian nationals and one Pakistani national, including the alleged ringleader, 32-year-old Deep Sandhu.
Police rescued the two victims on Friday during a raid on a rented house in Samut Prakan, where a third Indian victim was also discovered.
The first two victims -- Ramesh Sharma, 48, and Amandeep Kajal, 27 -- had travelled to Thailand on April 5 with a friend, Sanjeev Kumar, 27. They initially stayed at a hotel in Sathon before moving to another hotel in Silom on April 11.
On April 14, an Indian man picked up Mr Sharma and Mr Kajal, telling them they were to board a flight to Vietnam. Mr Kumar, who later reported their disappearance, did not join them as he did not have a visa, police said.
On April 16, the kidnappers used WhatsApp to deliver a chilling threat to Mr Sharma's sister: pay the ransom or the men's lives would be at risk.
Police launched an investigation, analysing CCTV footage and working in coordination with immigration authorities and telecommunications providers.
Pol Maj Gen Chotiwat Luangwilai, commander of the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, led the operation to track down and arrest Mr Sandhu in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, where he had sent the extortion messages.
Evidence retrieved from Mr Sandhu's mobile phone confirmed he had contacted the victims and their families via WhatsApp. Interrogation led police to discover the victims had been held captive in Samut Prakan.
Officers were able to rescue three victims: Mr Sharma and Mr Kajal, and a third, lured from Suvarnabhumi Airport, was identified as Vipulkumar Shambhulal Patel, 41, also an Indian national.
During raids in Chon Buri and Samut Prakan, police arrested seven suspects: Deep Sandhu, Simranjit Singh, 35 (India), Gurwinder Singh, 35 (India), Nitin Salaria, 36 (India), Muhammad Afzal, 57 (Pakistan), and two other Indian nationals identified only as Sourav, 26, and Abhishek, 25.
Police have charged the suspects with multiple serious offences, including joint unlawful detention, attempted extortion, force another to act against their will, and being part of a criminal gang. The suspects denied the allegations.
Yannawa police have requested their detention at Bangkok South Criminal Court and opposed bail, citing concerns the suspects have no permanent residence and may attempt to flee.
Pol Maj Gen Wasant Techa-akarakasem, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said the gang posed as job brokers, offering employment opportunities abroad. They told the victims they needed to remain temporarily in Bangkok to process documents before travelling onwards.
The suspects are accused of threatening their victims with violence and mutilation while detaining them in a rented property and contacting their families in India to demand 1 million baht each for their release.