Thai Men Impersonating Police Robbed German Tourist Of Bt300,000

[webfact]

German tourist robbed

By The Nation on Sunday

PATTAYA

Two Thai men impersonating police searched a German tourist and robbed him of Bt300,000 in cash at gunpoint on Friday evening.

Following a report of the theft, police rushed to Soi Thepprasit 7 in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district at about 6pm. Michael Maslankowski, 43, told police he was riding a motorbike in the soi when stopped by two men wearing clothes similar to police uniforms on a red Honda motorbike. They searched his bike and found a plastic bag of Thai money, which he had helped a Swedish friend to exchange for 8,500 euros. One man pointed a gun at him before the pair fled with the cash, he said.

Police took him to Khong Dong Tan station to get more information and had him look at pictures of Pattaya City police volunteers in hopes of finding someone who looks like the robbers.

-- The Nation 2011-01-16

[webfact]

German caught up in armed theft involving two uniformed men

PATTAYA: -- A German Tourist was robbed at gunpoint by two men men who were wearing Police Volunteer uniforms on Friday evening. The incident occurred in Soi 7 off the Tepprasit Road in Jomtien. Mr. Michael Maslankowski aged 43 alerted Police who soon arrived and were told that he was driving his motorbike along the road when he was stopped by the two men who were both carrying guns. They were wearing uniforms consistent with those worn by Pattaya Police Volunteers.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya One 2011-01-16

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[Thailand]

Stopped the right guy then did they not!

[needforspeed]

Nice story if just stolen 8.500 euro's from your Swedish so called friend .

[draftvader]

Stopped the right guy then did they not!

Are you Yoda?

[TJH]

Stopped the right guy then did they not!

Are you Yoda?

Pissing myself ! Brilliant retort

[TJH]

Stopped the right guy then did they not!

Are you Yoda?

Pissing myself ! Brilliant retort

Sorry, should have answered, "Myself pissing, retort brilliant"

[negreanu]

Are you Yoda?

hahaha

[bangkokcitylimits]

Nice story if just stolen 8.500 euro's from your Swedish so called friend .

Thinking the same here, 99,99% of motorcycle drivers have nothing but a green book under the seat. Set up with help of locals who probably keep everything

The bad and the stupid found eachother again

Edited January 16, 2011 by bangkokcitylimits

[Thailand]

Stopped the right guy then did they not!

Are you Yoda?

Yoda Bear? smarter than the average bear!Am I not.

[screamingeagle]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

[Beetlejuice]

The thieves did strike lucky, TOO LUCKY.

Appears like a set-up job to me. Seems someone tipped off the thieves that the German guy would be carrying a large amount of cash, where and at what time.

[waza]

I sense a disturbance in the force, if they cant identify the culprits how can the BIB get their slice? It does sound like an inside job, or Jaba the huts telling porkie pies

Edited January 16, 2011 by waza

[jackr]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

Plenty, it would seem, including many on here who think it's far better to bring in cash and maybe save 0.01% than do a simple bank transfer. The pair were either very lucky or had a little help from Mr Swede, or another close to either party.

Edited January 16, 2011 by jackr

[ginjag]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

Plenty, it would seem, including many on here who think it's far better to bring in cash and maybe save 0.01% than do a simple bank transfer. The pair were either very lucky or had a little help from Mr Swede, or another close to either party.

I think I am nutty at times, but what on earth was the Swede doing letting a German change his euro's, into baht, and what in he-ll would he want that amount changeing for?? a night out ??..Is the Swede housebound ?? One can only think that that money could well have been used for monkey business !! why didn,t he get a police escort, for safety-like the V.I.Ps get on the road. :lol: . god i've met so many westerners with no white matter between the ears.

[RKASA]

The thieves did strike lucky, TOO LUCKY.

Appears like a set-up job to me. Seems someone tipped off the thieves that the German guy would be carrying a large amount of cash, where and at what time.

Yea like the guy hanging around the bank with a cell phone. The one with the task of ID the -MARK- pic pockets work the same way. Check the cctv at the bank for a possible person hanging out then using a phone before leaving after him. I bet he shows up at other locations just before other crimes. They most likely tail the mark a distence from the bank before acting to dissociate the bank location from the crime. That does not mean they or he did not scam a friend but its wide open with out facts.

[111tingtong]

Stopped the right guy then did they not!

Are you Yoda?

[BarnicaleBob]

The thieves did strike lucky, TOO LUCKY.

Appears like a set-up job to me. Seems someone tipped off the thieves that the German guy would be carrying a large amount of cash, where and at what time.

Yea like the guy hanging around the bank with a cell phone. The one with the task of ID the -MARK- pic pockets work the same way. Check the cctv at the bank for a possible person hanging out then using a phone before leaving after him. I bet he shows up at other locations just before other crimes. They most likely tail the mark a distence from the bank before acting to dissociate the bank location from the crime. That does not mean they or he did not scam a friend but its wide open with out facts.

I like that response, very possible. Or maybe the German just wanted to rip off his Swedish buddy and faked the whole thing.

[H2oDunc]

1 Why wasn't the guy who's money it was on the back of the bike ? Just who in their right minds gives 8,500 Euro to somebody else to change ?

2 why did the guy just stop ? I had to go to the bank last week to take out 380,000 baht. If anybody had tried to get me to stop on route home the only place I would have stopped would be the nearest police station and nowhere else. Something just doesn't sit right here for sure. A hard one to prove though that's the problem the police have.

[111tingtong]

Im no FBI profiler, and dont want to be judgemental but I would not hand over 300K Baht to the guy above and ask him to exchange it for me.I smell sh@£e

[pipo1000]

When I read the OP and the pattaya one article it is clear that the guy has been robbed 2 times.

Once on his way to the exchange with 8500 Euro in cash and one more time on his return with 300.000 Baht.At least the second time he had learned not to hand over the cash without discussion so this time they had to search the bike but unfortunately they found the dosh once again.

If that isn't bad luck.

[fred110]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

Plenty, it would seem, including many on here who think it's far better to bring in cash and maybe save 0.01% than do a simple bank transfer. The pair were either very lucky or had a little help from Mr Swede, or another close to either party.

Maybe an insurance scam, all you need is the police report back home to file a claim.

[111tingtong]

Maybe an insurance scam, all you need is the police report back home to file a claim.

Now were talking, I like this perspective

[sirchai]

Im no FBI profiler, and dont want to be judgemental but I would not hand over 300K Baht to the guy above and ask him to exchange it for me.I smell sh@£e

Agreed. What's so wrong about the story? Guess the German( being a so called Russian/German, holding a German passport), needs some more Tattoos.

How on earth would anybody trust a guy like that??? The whole Naklua area is in German/ Russian control. Swede you're a fool.

[asiawatcher]

The thieves did strike lucky, TOO LUCKY.

Appears like a set-up job to me. Seems someone tipped off the thieves that the German guy would be carrying a large amount of cash, where and at what time.

Yep - I would start by questioning who exchanged the money then check phone records as to who he/she called around that time. As for the guys in police uniforms, it probably was police! What else is new in Thailand. Street corner or run down the courier - same same.

[ableguy]

1 Why wasn't the guy who's money it was on the back of the bike ? Just who in their right minds gives 8,500 Euro to somebody else to change ?

2 why did the guy just stop ? I had to go to the bank last week to take out 380,000 baht. If anybody had tried to get me to stop on route home the only place I would have stopped would be the nearest police station and nowhere else. Something just doesn't sit right here for sure. A hard one to prove though that's the problem the police have.

God you need help, walk into a police station carrying 380,000 bhat ?

[DP25]

Im no FBI profiler, and dont want to be judgemental but I would not hand over 300K Baht to the guy above and ask him to exchange it for me.I smell sh@£e

He looks like a trustworthy bloke to me

[ScubaBuddha]

Stopped the right guy then did they not!

Are you Yoda?

Pissing myself ! Brilliant retort

Sorry, should have answered, "Myself pissing, retort brilliant"

No you should have said "Pissing myself I am. Brilliant report it is."

[backsoon]

The thieves did strike lucky, TOO LUCKY.

Appears like a set-up job to me. Seems someone tipped off the thieves that the German guy would be carrying a large amount of cash, where and at what time.

Yep - I would start by questioning who exchanged the money then check phone records as to who he/she called around that time. As for the guys in police uniforms, it probably was police! What else is new in Thailand. Street corner or run down the courier - same same.

TOO LUCKY, surely! I agree with most of the sniggering comment here.

One question though.... two guys in uniforms, waving a gun, stopping the right man at the right time in a right place... who says there were 'impersonating police"? And why?

[olsen]

The link provided to PattayaOne states that it was not a Swede but a Dane that actually owned the Euros that was supposed to be exchanged.

Geeezzzz.... strange story indeed:

1. Why did the Dane have Euros in his possession, when the official currency in Denmark is DKK?
2. Why wasn't he able to exchange the money himself? He couldn't be too occupied, as he later turned up and confirmed the German's story!

BTW....just because the German has tattoos, does that mean he is a criminal? Sound like that when reading the posts in here! :-(