Pattaya —
Four foreign tourists in Pattaya found themselves in hot water after they staged a kidnapping scheme, leading to their arrest and the discovery of illegal drugs and firearms.
The elaborate charade began when one of the men, a British citizen identified only as Ian, contacted his parents claiming he’d been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding ransom. Worried and desperate, Ian’s parents, instead of sending money, alerted Thai and international authorities, triggering a swift investigation by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).
Following Interpol’s tip-off, police raided the four foreigners’ rented house in Pattaya on Saturday, January 28th, 2024. While no signs of the alleged kidnapping were found, the officers stumbled upon a different kind of surprise: A stash of illegal drugs, including crystal methamphetamine, and a loaded revolver with ammunition.
The four individuals, two Englishmen, a Frenchman, and a New Zealander, were promptly apprehended on charges of drug possession, firearm possession, and visa overstay. As it turned out, the kidnapping was nothing more than a desperate ploy concocted by Ian’s friends, facing financial woes in Thailand, to try to extort money from his family. The names of those arrested were not released to the media.
The four foreigners are currently facing serious consequences for their illegal possessions and the kidnapping hoax. Amazingly, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in Thailand as THIS similar incident in Phuket with Finnish tourists took place in December.
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