Gang Of Robbers Targeting Foreign Tourists Busted

[george]

Gang of robbers targeting foreign tourists busted

BANGKOK: -- Tourist police say they have broken up a "legshaking gang" targeting mainly tourists, who grab victims by the leg in a bagdropping pretence or a staged fight before getting away with their valuables. They were especially active in Bangkok's Silom and Bang Rak areas.

Two Filipino men - Angor Roger Novo, 36, and Billionet Manni, 55 - were arrested on May 26 for robbing 54yearold Canadian Faramad Adadian of US$3,000 (Bt103,000)in cash, $3,000 in cashier cheques, and Bt1,000 in cash.

Police arrested the duo as they were fighting with good Samaritans helping the victim at the mouth of Soi Silom 28. Other victims also identified the duo as their robbers.

Police say that the duo, along with five other gang members, assaulted and robbed tourists by pretending to drop papers near the victim. They would then shake the victim's legs in a chaotic scene, while other gang members pocketed the victim's valuables. Then all would flee in taxis.

One victim, jewellery businessman Thana Komenthiti, 59, told police he was robbed of Bt100,000 worth of valuables by five men while crossing Silom after withdrawing money from an ATM machine.

Metropolitan Police Area 6 chief Major General Wittaya Rattanawit said the gang members came into Thailand on threemonth tourist visas before leaving and coming back to Thailand to commit the crimes. "Sometimes, they stun victims with an electric shock device or by applying psychedelic medicine to the victim's body before getting away with their valuables, often by taxi," he said.

Wittaya said the gang lived in the Suparp Hotel in the Saphan Kwai area and operated for about a year in the city's other tourist areas. Three people had filed complaints to Yan Nawa police. Each said they had lost Bt100,000 worth of valuables.

After the latest assault, on Wednesday, tourist police arrested Novo and Manni, another Filipino man and two Filipino women, along with a notebook and assets worth Bt100,000 from Ratchada Soi 3 in Din Daeng area.

Deputy Tourist Police commander Colonel Yongkiat Monpranit said Tourist Police gave priority to this case after French tourist Sophia Yenepelliton, 49, lost gold ornaments worth Bt100,000 and Bt9,200 in cash to the gang at a Starbucks coffee outlet on Silom Road on March 18.

The complaint was filed and the victim talked to TV news reporters, leading to the police investigation that found the gang's operation on the cafe's security camera footage.

"The gang of about five or six members came into the cafe and chose to sit near the victim and pretended to read newspapers. While one member seated behind the victim grabbed the victim's purse on the floor by her foot, other members used newspapers as a cover, before escaping with her purse," he said.

Police found the suspects had also pickpocketed tourists in Pratunam area. Two suspects found in Din Daeng were said to belong to a 10strong Filipino "legshaking gang" that had operated many times before, luring tourists to gambling games and taking their valuables, the officer said. He expressed concern the gang had damaged Thailand's image.

-- The Nation 2009-06-08

[brahmburgers]

full appreciation to Bkk police for doing the right thing.

Q: Did they also catch and bust the taxi drivers who were part of the scheme?

Then all would flee in taxis.

[Scott]

Thievery and scams are a protected occupation in Thailand. Foreigners need not engage in these activities.

Had this been a group of locals, there is a good chance there would have been 1 or 2 arrested and the remaining ones would have paid their way out of it.

At any rate, it's good they caught them.

[South]

The recession must be hitting Manilla pretty bad then.

[EnhancePlus]

How far and fast can you get away in a taxi on Silom????

[MHM]

Good to see the BIB 'shake a leg' for once

[pmarlin]

The recession must be hitting Manilla pretty bad then.

You don't need a recession in Manila to make it bad. I just came back from doing two weeks there and compared to Bangkok, Bangkok is heaven, manila only exports one thing. bad people with bad behavior.

[Nam Plah]

"Sometimes, they stun victims with an electric shock device or by applying psychedelic medicine to the victim's body before getting away with their valuables, often by taxi,"

What the heck does "applying psychedelic medicine to the victim's body" mean?

And where can I have it done!?

[laphroaig]

"Sometimes, they stun victims with an electric shock device or by applying psychedelic medicine to the victim's body before getting away with their valuables, often by taxi,"

What the heck does "applying psychedelic medicine to the victim's body" mean?

And where can I have it done!?

Seriously, what does this mean. Are they using some drugs now, maybe through injection? Anyone got any ideas? This is scary

[brahmburgers]

applying debilitating drugs to anyone - however it's administered, unless requested by that person is assault.

People vary in their sensitivity to drugs. For example, one person can drink ten cups of coffee and be able to sleep at night. Another person has one sip of coffee and is tossing and turning all night from the little bit of caffeine.

if the buttplugs are administering debilitating drugs - it could be potentially fatal (heart attack, etc), and could fall under the scope of 'attempted murder.' If anyone tried doing that to me, I would grab a metal pipe and crush their skull, as well as I was able - before succumbing to the drug's effects.

Whomever is doing this should be locked up for a long time. Dangerous, crass people.

Edited June 9, 2009 by brahmburgers

[steelepulse]

I was thinking the same as a prior poster in that if it would have been local nationals and not foreign nationals, the number of perps caught would have been substantially less. Bibs need something like this to make them look good.  How many gang of thieves are operating out of tourist zones preying on locals that never get reported with the backing/blessing of Bibs.................?

[toybits]

Right!!! Like them catching some petty drug dealer to make them look like they are not sleeping on the job. Deflection is the name of the game my friend.

Good to see the BIB 'shake a leg' for once

[orosee]

I'm a bit puzzled why everyone seems to have been robbed of the neat amount of 100,000 Baht - give or take a few, if you read the article and count the times "(worth) 100,000 Baht" appears, it seems to me to be quite a lot of coincidence. Do victims get the allegedly stolen amount back from someone, no further questions asked? Personally I've never managed to store more than half of that inside my wallet.

[Absingjul]

I'm a bit puzzled why everyone seems to have been robbed of the neat amount of 100,000 Baht - give or take a few, if you read the article and count the times "(worth) 100,000 Baht" appears, it seems to me to be quite a lot of coincidence. Do victims get the allegedly stolen amount back from someone, no further questions asked? Personally I've never managed to store more than half of that inside my wallet.

You have to file a police report in order to make an insurance claim...

Anyone carrying a guap in bkk is a nutter.

[BigSnake]

Good work, please do more of it. There are many many more Gangs and just plan bad people needing to be taken off the street for a little rest in the slammmer

[dsprtliving]

applying debilitating drugs to anyone - however it's administered, unless requested by that person is assault.

People vary in their sensitivity to drugs. For example, one person can drink ten cups of coffee and be able to sleep at night. Another person has one sip of coffee and is tossing and turning all night from the little bit of caffeine.

if the buttplugs are administering debilitating drugs - it could be potentially fatal (heart attack, etc), and could fall under the scope of 'attempted murder.' If anyone tried doing that to me, I would grab a metal pipe and crush their skull, as well as I was able - before succumbing to the drug's effects.

Whomever is doing this should be locked up for a long time. Dangerous, crass people.

Agree 100%!!! These people deserve the maximum amount of punishment the law will allow! Absolute scum!

[dangersnake]

The recession must be hitting Manilla pretty bad then.

You don't need a recession in Manila to make it bad. I just came back from doing two weeks there and compared to Bangkok, Bangkok is heaven, manila only exports one thing. bad people with bad behavior.

I've been to manila how many times...I agree that Bangkok is better than manila.. but not all the people in manila are bad people and bad behaviour....I have many friends from manila and they are very nice people...anywhere in the world have bad and good anyway...

[borodave]

!! He expressed concern the gang had damaged Thailand's image.

wow Thailand does not need any help in that depatment

[Jing-jo]

Agree 100%!!! These people deserve the maximum amount of punishment the law will allow! Absolute scum!

That will be a 200 bht fine and a lift back to the area to commit more crimes if it was a local and a relative of a BIB

and that's about a 98% certainty!

Plus interesting to note that it took a female Tourist going on TV after a year of these guys committing the crimes in the same area to get the powers that could not give a f*** to do something more than collect their cut!

[britainmal]

Plus interesting to note that it took a female Tourist going on TV after a year of these guys committing the crimes in the same area to get the powers that could not give a f*** to do something more than collect their cut!

You mean it probabily took an attractive Female Farang to get them to move their <deleted> to investigate this crime.

[jackdanielsesq]

Which reminds me to pack my Taser for my next trip to BKK

BR>Jack