Pattaya, Thailand – On July 12th, 2025, Thai police announced the arrest of a gang comprising of two Chinese nationals and two Thai accomplices for the violent robbery of a 52-year-old Chinese man, Mr. Lin Yifan, in central Pattaya. The incident, which occurred at 5:30 AM on July 10, 2025, involved the suspects posing as police officers, abducting the victim from a Chinese noodle shop on Pattaya North Road, and robbing him of valuables worth over 230,000 baht (approximately USD 6,500).
According to police reports, the assailants forcibly dragged Mr. Lin into a white BYD electric SUV, believed to be unregistered at the time of the crime. The gang, armed with a firearm, restrained the victim, stole his mobile phone and cash, and later transferred approximately 150,000 baht (USD 4,200) from his Chinese bank account via a mobile application. After the robbery, the victim was abandoned on a railway road near Chaiyapruek 2 Soi, approximately 9 kilometers from the crime scene.
Following an intensive investigation led by Lieutenant General Yingyot Thepjamnong, Commander of Region 2 Police, and Major General Thawatchakiat Jindakuansanong, Chonburi Provincial Police Chief, a joint task force comprising Region 2 Police, Immigration Bureau, Tourist Police, and Pattaya City Police traced the suspects using CCTV footage. The white BYD SUV, later identified with the license plate 5ขย-3463 (Bangkok), was located, leading to the arrests.
The four suspects, identified as Mr. Longding Han, 37, and Mr. Zhangchou Han, 63 (both Chinese nationals), along with Mr. Siripong Chiablam, 35, and Mr. Thitipong Phongpiriyakul, 28 (both Thai nationals), confessed to the crime. They admitted to being hired by a Chinese man named and identified only as Mr. Yong to carry out the robbery. Mr. Zhangchou Han drove the getaway vehicle, while Mr. Longding Han and the two Thai accomplices executed the abduction and robbery. After abandoning the victim, the group fled to Minburi, Bangkok, where they divided the stolen money. The victim’s mobile phone was discarded in a body of water.
Police recovered the suspect vehicle at a residence in Minburi and are working to retrieve the remaining stolen property. Authorities have confirmed that the gang was not impersonating police officers but was solely motivated by financial gain.
The suspects have been charged with “jointly committing robbery.” Police are continuing their investigation to gather evidence and apprehend Mr. Yong, the alleged mastermind, for prosecution.
