Three Arrested For Phuket Bikes-For-Ransom Scheme

[webfact]

Three arrested for Phuket bikes-for-ransom scheme
Kanana Kaewsomboon

PHUKET: -- Three teenagers have been arrested for stealing motorbikes and then holding them for ransom.

The arrests came after an 18-year-old woman from Patong, whom police declined to name, reported that she had lent her rented motorbike to a friend who wanted to go shopping. The friend and the motorbike did not return, so she reported to police that it had been stolen.

Soon after, she received a call from someone calling himself Berm Patong, demanding B1,500 if she wanted the bike back.

Fearing violence, she went to meet the bikenapper with the owner of the shop on Soi Kebsap, Patong, from whom she had rented the bike.

The bikenappers, thinking the owner was a police officer, ran away, and the bike was recovered.

An hour later the woman received another call from Berm Patong demanding the money “owed” him, and threatening violence if she did not pay up.

She agreed to a second meeting but this time police lay in wait at the meeting point on Soi Ton and pounced on three teenagers, who admitted they worked for Berm.

Police also learned that there were six in the gang, and got the arrested pair to lead them to the gang’s HQ.

When they got to the house they were spotted and the three other gang members bolted, leaving just an 18-year-old girl with a baby in the house, along with crystal methamphetamine and a bank book that showed a balance of B800,000.

Police are now looking for the missing gang members.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/three-arrested-for-phuket-bikes-for-ransom-scheme-39513.php


-- Phuket News 2013-05-21

[alant]

i wonder what happened to the dosh and drugs?

[thhMan]

Well done to the girl... She must have had some guts to do all this.

Dogs breed dogs... so I hope all those boys get knackered so they dont bring up another generation of bad people!

[lee b]

I wonder what would happen to the bike if you refused to pay these mini terrorists the ransom ?? And when i was in Phuket i never locked the bike up, thinking that there was no way it would be stolen. Boy was i wrong !!

Edited May 21, 2013 by lee b

[Bagwan]

Well done to the girl... She must have had some guts to do all this.

Dogs breed dogs... so I hope all those boys get knackered so they dont bring up another generation of bad people!

So you consider that the girl wasn't somebody on your hate list i.e.a snitch.

[JetsetBkk]

When they got to the house they were spotted and the three other gang members bolted

I guess the police pick-up, uniforms and siren gave them away.

[stevenl]

I wonder what would happen to the bike if you refused to pay these mini terrorists the ransom ?? And when i was in Phuket i never locked the bike up, thinking that there was no way it would be stolen. Boy was i wrong !!

I also never lock the bike.

In the OP the girl had lent the bike to somebody, so nothing to do with (the classic way of) stealing a bike.

[NeverSure]

Found a bank book with a balance of 800,000 baht. Such a coincidence. Bet it wasn't theirs. ??

[thhMan]

Well done to the girl... She must have had some guts to do all this.

Dogs breed dogs... so I hope all those boys get knackered so they dont bring up another generation of bad people!

So you consider that the girl wasn't somebody on your hate list i.e.a snitch.

How can she be a snitch... She was the one that was robbed... or did I read it wrong?