TOURISM
Police officers suspended over alleged extortion of tourists
Kanathit Srihirundaj
The Nation



FOUR BANGKOK-BASED policemen have been suspended for allegedly extorting Bt2 million from two Italian tourists after making a false allegation against the victims and holding them captive.

Arrest warrants have been issued for two of the officers, who were on the run at the time of going to press.

An Uzbek national, who allegedly assisted in the crimes, was arrested late evening.

While it may sound like another instance of police misconduct well familiar to Thais and foreigners alike, this case has resulted in immediate action by their superiors and abrupt suspension of the four police suspects, thanks to an Interpol inquiry conducted after the victims' families lodged a complaint.



The case therefore potentially brings shame upon the entire police force, due to its global exposure.

Arrest warrants have been issued for Police Lieutenants Wirat Inyord and Akkhranet Muthawan of Lumpini station, deputy Bangkok police chief Maj-General Parinya Jansuriya said yesterday.

The fugitive Uzbek suspect, likely acting as the interpreter in the extortion scam, has been identified as Muhiddin Sharipov.

The two other police officers allegedly involved in the extortion - Senior Sgt-Major Sathit Jansome and Sgt-Major Phoorithat Cheunjampa, both of Thong Lor station - have been placed in custody after their requests for temporary release on bail were rejected yesterday by Bangkok South Criminal Court.

The five suspects have been charged with armed robbery, armed kidnapping and armed extortion.

Their mug shots were made public at a police conference yesterday, at which Parinya said border checkpoints and immigration offices at airports and seaports had been alerted over their possible departure.

The two tourists - architect Danillo de Vito and engineer Antonio de Muro - were not harmed during their one-day captivity, which began on Monday night after the four officers approached them while they were withdrawing money from an ATM machine near the Racha Nana hotel, where they were staying.

A police source said there was also a police major present at Lumpini police station, who assisted in negotiations that the two tourists would be released if they gave Bt2 million to him and the five suspects, in return for them not being further charged with using a false ATM card.

In their statement to Interpol, the two victims said the ATM card they were using was authentic, but the suspects had threatened them using the false allegation that it was a fake.

During the talks at Lumpini police station, the two successfully bargained for the amount to be reduced to 25,000 euro (about Bt1 million), before they were briefly held further at a Bangkok motel, where a surveillance camera captured them going in and out together with the five suspects.

The victims were then escorted on Tuesday to withdraw money at a Barclays Bank branch in the All Seasons building, which they later transferred to two bank accounts registered under the names of Nana Racha hotel staff.

Parinya said a total of 1,500 euro had initially been transferred to the accounts.

During a phone call home by the victims, they told their families in Italy what had happened.

The victims' families later asked for help from Italian police, who forwarded the complaint to Interpol, police said at the press conference.


-- The Nation 2013-08-24

related story:
Nana Police officers on the run after abducting Italian tourists and demanding Bt2m ransom
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662860-nana-police-officers-on-the-run-after-abducting-italian-tourists-and-demanding-bt2m-ransom/

Denied bail!!! Well I guess this is being taken halfway seriously by the police. I'd be willing to bet that the two seargents will be thrown under the bus, the two lieutenants will never be caught and this major will never be mentioned again.

The article mentions " immediate action" by senior officers which is always welcome but would this have happened if there wasn't a genuine international aspect ? I don't mean foreigners as victims but a complaint from overseas via official channels which had it been ignored would have attracted even more adverse publicity.

As otherstuff1957 says what about follow up action, will the fugitives be pursued with much vigor ?

alleged they say !!! not even sure, maybe it was someone else.....

This is fair warning to all foreigners. Beware of this kind of activity by police and Thailand in general. You are at risk any time anywhere in Thailand.

thanks to an Interpol inquiry conducted after the victims' families lodged a complaint.

Those damn meddling farangs at Interpol tarnishing the good image of Thailand's Police and the country. There wouldn't even be an issue if it wasn't for outside interference.

Just wait till TAT gets over there and gives you what for. How dare these foreigners tarnish Thailand's reputation.

Thong Lor/ Lumpini police...Nana Racha hotel staff bank accounts...Uzbek 'translator' and ...?

It's just like a child's join the dots to get the complete picture game.

I wonder what it will look once completed?

And the Nana Racha Hotel staff that received funds still working the front desk ?

Once again, it's only the glare of international publicity that has forced the action.

I don't know any other country which cares so much about its national image and so little about the quality of life of its citizens.

Denied bail!!! Well I guess this is being taken halfway seriously by the police. I'd be willing to bet that the two seargents will be thrown under the bus, the two lieutenants will never be caught and this major will never be mentioned again.

They would be on bail and relaxing in Cambodia if it wasn't for the high international coverage and the involvement of Interpol. The whole incident would be seen as a misunderstanding, and cultural clash.

thanks to an Interpol inquiry conducted after the victims' families lodged a complaint.

Those dam_n meddling farangs at Interpol tarnishing the good image of Thailand's Police and the country. There wouldn't even be an issue if it wasn't for outside interference.

Just wait till TAT gets over there and gives you what for. How dare these foreigners tarnish Thailand's reputation.

Of course...but it does prove what can be done when Thailands finests work in conjuction with interpol, on the back of the sucess of this operation, the BiB/Interpol task force should consider expanding their horizons a bit.....possibily to Dubai perhaps ?

These policeman and their Uzbek translator are a known group that have successfully targeted foreigners in the Nana area on a number of occasions. .

Normally it was smaller money, but it was always a scam and they have made a lot of money. These police are a minority and are less than the scum of the earth.

Because of the Fabio Polenghi case, the Italian Embassy has close links in many high places in the Police force in Thailand and the Thai Police really wanted to try to redeem themselves in this case.

I am hoping they lop some higher heads off that are complicit by their inaction on this sort of behavior!

The only way to get anything to change in Thailand, is exposure to the world. And hit them in there pockets!

proof men are smarter than monkeys......

What this issue higlights to me is with regard to the significant ranks of some involved. These are not simple traffic or beat cops and they hail from stations in the heart of the tourist belt.

This is the quality and character of what this country promotes in it's police force.

When you review the ranks opposite the rather poultry sum involved then it is not difficult to fathom how the rich and priveledged in this country can treat the law with impunity as there is a multitude within the RTP just waiting to get paid off. Criminal entrepeneurism in uniform.

More often than not atleast one member of the hotel staff is in on the scam. Hotel staff are known to call gangs in central BKK about a new guest who looks cashed up or is carrying a bag possibly carrying precious stones.

They can wait for him to walk out of the lobby or even randsack his room. You have to be very careful in Thailand although why would they target Italians ? LOL

Nothing more than "SAVING FACE" because it went global. They will be slapped on the wrist and put back on the streets to continue bringing down the face of this country!

Maybe it is the phone call the 2 Italians made to the Italian police, who then called the Lumpini police office in the earlier article, that has resulted in such quick response and action.

I'd like to see a police photo with the Italian victims pointing their fingers at the Thai cops.

"The fugitive Uzbek suspect, likely acting as the interpreter in the extortion scam, has been identified as Muhiddin Sharipov."

Not the Sharipovest knife in the drawer -

I'd like to see a police photo with the Italian victims pointing their fingers at the Thai cops.

I am waiting for the "vital" reenactment.

Maybe it is the phone call the 2 Italians made to the Italian police, who then called the Lumpini police office in the earlier article, that has resulted in such quick response and action.

one suspects the quick response was because some of the BiB higher ups at Lumpini realised they had missed out on getting their cut of the ransom money

About bloody time these crooks in uniforms started to see some real justice and not their very own 'under-the-table' justice.

Bravo for not granting bail. This will surely shock the little nuts off of some of these 'officers' of the law.

There is a lot more strength and power when they team with mafai from the west.

im surprised there isnt the usual group photo on TV

This is fair warning to all foreigners. Beware of this kind of activity by police and Thailand in general. You are at risk any time anywhere in Thailand.

At risk yes!! from the moment you step off the plane until you are sitting in the plane and in the air on your outward journey

My wife said she did not see anything on the Thai news about this. did anyone else see it?

"The two tourists - Danillo de Vito Antonio de Muro"!

It's not real, they're making a movie surely!

So how many times before this had they extorted money from foreigners? And would anything have been done if Interpol were not tipped off?

"The case therefore potentially brings shame upon the entire police force, due to its global exposure."

An interesting choice of words, which seems to imply that were it not for the global exposure, there would be no shame brought upon the police force?