Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau apprehended a 45 year old French national at a hotel in the Silom area of Bang Rak district. The arrest, which took place around 10pm yesterday concerned allegations of a planned kidnapping of the young daughter of a renowned businesswoman, with a demand for a 200 million baht ransom.

 

The arrest warrant for Sandra Christina Marie Diersten, suspected of illegal assembly, was issued by the Criminal Court on April 5, following a complaint lodged with Thong Lor Police Station. The businesswoman had been alerted to the plot to kidnap her seven year old daughter by a remorseful member of the gang.

 

This tip-off instigated an investigation which led to the issuance of Diersten’s arrest warrant, who was reportedly the gang’s ringleader.

 

Police Major General Theeradet Thumsuthee, an investigative commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, led a team of detectives to Diersten’s location on the day of her arrest. They discovered Diersten at a Silom hotel, in the company of a Lebanese man.

 

At the time of her arrest, Diersten denied all charges, claiming to be a businesswoman who had been defrauded by an Australian man, the husband of the Thai businesswoman and father of the targeted child. Diersten stated that she had invested approximately 185 million baht with the man, alleging that he had defrauded her and then falsely accused her of the kidnap plot to avoid repaying his debts.

 

Diersten further claimed to have met the Lebanese man in Dubai previously and explained her failure to report her entry into Thailand was due to safety concerns. Following her arrest, she was transferred into the custody of Thong Lor Police Station, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Despite her denials, Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradet expressed scepticism over Diersten’s claims, stating the police had gathered ample evidence against her. The investigation continues.

 

In related news, five members of a Russian gang have been apprehended for the kidnapping and extortion of a Belarusian couple in Phuket, forcing them to transfer 30 million baht in cryptocurrency before abandoning them. The incident occurred on January 31, at a prominent hotel in the Talad Yai area of Mueang Phuket district.

 

By Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Caption: Photo courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-19

 

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6 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

In related news, five members of a Russian gang have been apprehended for the kidnapping and extortion of a Belarusian couple in Phuket, forcing them to transfer 30 million baht in cryptocurrency before abandoning them. The incident occurred on January 31, at a prominent hotel in the Talad Yai area

The best part of the article

Judges, help me out here...  Is this the first French lady on the board this year?

 

9 minutes ago, impulse said:

Judges, help me out here...  Is this the first French lady on the board this year?

 

I think in the news. Like always, a lot more to the story than is presented.

Thai Police Capture French Mastermind Allegedly Involved in Kidnap and Ransom Scheme
By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

 

Bangkok—At 10:00 PM, on April 18th, 2024, Thai metropolitan investigative police captured a French mastermind who was allegedly involved in the kidnap and ransom scheme of a millionaire’s daughter at a hotel in Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok.

Ms. Sandra Christina Marie Dierstein, a 45-year-old French national, was a prime suspect according to the criminal court’s arrest warrant. According to the police report, a millionaire’s family reported to Thonglor police that a group of foreigners schemed to rob and kidnap the daughter of the family for ransom of 200 million baht.

 

However, the scheme was exposed by one of the accomplices to the victim’s family. The police investigated the case and requested arrest warrants from the criminal court for Sandra, the alleged French mastermind of the scheme.

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-04-20

 

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French Woman Arrested On Attempted Kidnap, Robbery Charges
by TNR Staff 

 

 

A FRENCH woman was arrested at a hotel in Silom area on the charges of heading a gang that had hatched a plan to kidnap the daughter of a high-society family for 200 million baht ransom, Amarin TV said today (Apr. 19).

 

At 10 p.m. last night Metropolitan Police arrested Ms.Sandra Christina Marie Diersten, 45, at a hotel in Silom Soi 3 under a warrant issued on April 5, 2024.

 

Police said they took action after this well-known family, whose initial is Sor, had filed a complaint at Thong Lor police station that a gang of foreigners intended to kidnap their daughter and rob them of 200 million baht.

 

However the plot collapsed after one of the gang members changed his mind and alerted the family. Upon being informed police conducted an investigation then obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect.

 

Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2024-04-20

 

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She said, he said... best of luck sorting out the biggest liar

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"alleging that he had defrauded her and then falsely accused her of the kidnap plot to avoid repaying his debts."

Oh what a tangled web we weave ........

Sound like a big money divorce case.  

12 minutes ago, neeray said:

Oh what a tangled web we weave ........

I had a girlfriend at University and she ended up at the old Bailey it was a huge money case and fighting over the children

Told us very little. I hope the police have some solid evidence on the French lady & not just a few claims being thrown around.

Sounds like the Russians have kicked-off as well. I think we got this story a few months back. Its mentioned again here, but still without any info?

1 hour ago, arick said:

I had a girlfriend at University and she ended up at the old Bailey it was a huge money case and fighting over the children

Is that “related news”.

This might be her 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-dierstein/

https://www.daidalos-fra.eu/our-team

 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

explained her failure to report her entry into Thailand was due to safety concerns.

So how did she get into Thailand ?? 

Wonder if the Sor family owes her or her company a lot of money and is setting her up?

Tipped off "by a remorseful member of the gang" more likely he wasn't being paid enough and switched sides for a handsome payout. Now, you never know which side to believe but it seems she was smuggled into the country "and explained her failure to report her entry into Thailand was due to safety concerns" So her credibility is shot. 

Kidnapping a small child is a horrendous crime,, just imagine the terror that the child must suffer let alone the parents, so yes if she is found guilty it should be a very long incarceration.

14 hours ago, rexpotter said:

I think in the news. Like always, a lot more to the story than is presented.

 

Sounds like one of those crumby airport bookshop novels.

Another Russian crime report! It is getting so common place that it ranks second behind the French Lady(?)

 

Bewaare what you ask for. If you take in stray dogs you have to accept that they probably have fleas and ticks... or maybe a disease.

 

5 minutes ago, Expat Tom said:

Another Russian crime report! It is getting so common place that it ranks second behind the French Lady(?)

 

Bewaare what you ask for. If you take in stray dogs you have to accept that they probably have fleas and ticks... or maybe a disease.

 

And the French Crime Novel has not even been confirmed.

Oh, those pesky French once again! 

1 hour ago, wensiensheng said:

Is that “related news”.

Yes it's passing on personal experience in a case which could be very similar. Nasty!!!

oh wow, so a French woman, Lebanese guy and an Australian are going to go through a he said/she said with the Thai police over kidnapping a kid from a prominent Thai woman... this is gonna get interesting, who has the most cash wins I guess

Strange. Maybe there is some truth in her story. 

Doesn't sound Impossible.😳

44 minutes ago, ryandb said:

oh wow, so a French woman, Lebanese guy and an Australian are going to go through a he said/she said with the Thai police over kidnapping a kid from a prominent Thai woman... this is gonna get interesting, who has the most cash wins I guess

The Australian is married to the prominent Thai woman and is the father of the child.

It's a little more clear cut than a she said/he said situation.

 

The French woman entered the country illegally and had been changing hotels daily. Strange behavior for a genuine visitor.

 

Despite her denials, Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradet expressed scepticism over Diersten’s claims, stating the police had gathered ample evidence against her. 

 

Reading the flowery language describing her companies, and the dodgy over qualifications of the senior staff, would have me, and my money, avoiding them like the plague.

Edited April 20, 20242 yr by Old Croc

The name sounds more german than french.

She was wearing the damm elephant pants when arrested! Another blow to the Khao San crowd. Some become begpackers some become kidnappers!

Edited April 20, 20242 yr by Shocked farang

Thailand seems to be attracting a lot of scumbag, sewer-level foreigners nowadays. 

is this the new NEW... having to read 3 articles back to back on the same page...

 

nobody that can make it 1 story instead of rehashing the same crap

 

any journalism involved or just copy paste, someone gets paid for that?

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

She said, he said... best of luck sorting out the biggest liar

 

Yes, But the clincher might be the fact that she admitted to entering Thailand illegally.

Diersten further claimed to have met the Lebanese man in Dubai previously and explained her failure to report her entry into Thailand was due to safety concerns.