Russian couple missing, feared kidnapped on Phuket

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Russian couple missing, feared kidnapped on Phuket
Anton Makhrov



Russian couple missing, feared kidnapped on Phuket

PHUKET: After a series of dramatic phone calls with relatives at home, it’s feared that a Russian couple in Phuket may have been kidnapped.

Russian citizen Alexei Slabinskiy came to Phuket in April 2013 together with his girlfriend Yana Strizheus. The 39-old finance broker told friends and family that he was headed to Thailand for a holiday, and to learn Thai.

But their romantic life in Kamala may have turned into a nightmare on March 7 this year.

The Russian couple called their relatives claiming that they were in trouble in Phuket, and urgently needed USD100,000 to solve some unexpected problems. After the call, Aleksei’s and Yana’s cell phones went silent, and their concerned families raised the alarm.

Then, yesterday (March 13), Yana called her sister in Russia and told her that she had been kidnapped.

“If I don’t arrive back in [the Russian city of] Vladivostok tomorrow, that means I’m already dead,” her sister quoted Yana as saying in a whisper.

According to the sister, the conversation lasted for only 30 seconds, and after that Yana’s phone went dead again.

The Russian Embassy in Bangkok, along with Royal Thai police and Russian-speaking police volunteers have already been informed about the case.

Kamala police officers confirmed to The Phuket News that an investigation into the missing couple’s whereabouts is already under way.

Alexei and Yana’s relatives are expected to land in Phuket this weekend to assist with the search.

Friends and family of missing Russian couple Alexei Slabinskiy and Yana Strizheus are calling on members of the public to let them know if they have seen them.

If anyone has any information about Alexei and Yana, please contact Royal Thai Police, email [email protected] or call:

Andrei Smirnov: +66 82 277 3502 (English & Russian)

Tatiana Novoselova: +7 908 442 26 48 (Russian)

Dmitriy Voronov: +7 985 997 46 25 (Russian)

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-couple-missing-feared-kidnapped-on-phuket-45152.php


-- Phuket News 2014-03-14

[robertthebruce]

A bit strange, what where they up to , that needed all that money...??? hope all is ok, and they are found...,safe and well

[LivinginKata]

Yes, very strange. Send US$ 100,000 just like that.

[thepool]

$ 100, 000 ??

Would this be the Rus**** mafia at work ?

[harrycallahan]

If I dont arrive back in [the Russian city of] Vladivostok tomorrow, that means Im already dead, her sister quoted Yana as saying in a whisper.

That's a strange thing to say. Surely some timely formalities to deal with after just being released by kidnappers. Even planes have to be booked in advance.

Another thing. If you've been kidnapped and you've made it to a phone, on your own (whispering), don't you give better information than "I'm gonna be dead tomorrow"? Like you could say where you are and who did it, to the best of your knowledge.

Edited March 14, 2014 by harrycallahan

[Costas2008]

A plea to the Phuket ex-pat residents.
Let the Russians free.
They are not, all, as bad as you think.

On the serious side, hope they are OK and nothing nasty has happened to them.

[Somtamnication]

Asking for 3 million THB is serious stuff. Something is not quite right. I smell a rotten borsch.

[iSabai]

Asking for 3 million THB is serious stuff. Something is not quite right. I smell a rotten borsch.

I think you meant 'borscht' Somtam… Borsch is a German sports car.

[tingtongfarang]

Asking for 3 million THB is serious stuff. Something is not quite right. I smell a rotten borsch.

I think you meant 'borscht' Somtam… Borsch is a German sports car.

thats austrian

[Somtamnication]

Whatever, it still smells bad.

[MickeyKnox82]

Borsch? Thats not german! Porsche is german. Never heard of an austrian car named borsch as well!!!

Topic: this is weird.... Sth really smells in this story

[falkan]

maybe the financial broker gamble/scammed away someone's money and he got found in end?

very fishy story..

[NeverSure]

Fishy. How does someone send them the 100K unless they know where they are?

[GaoYuk]

Almost exactly a year...hope they turn up safe and well.

Edited March 14, 2014 by GaoYuk

[laurentbkk]

sounds fishy .... I would think they are in need of money , one way to get is to fake a kidnaping and ask the relatives ...... lets hope all this story will end in a good way .... you never know what could happen in the LOS ..

[bangkokheat]

they realy wanted to kidnap only her but they come as a couple.

hope it turns out well for them

[ezzra]

That's the kind of telephone call every family that their loved one are overseas dread to receive...

I whish the situation will resoled peacefully soon...

[Thai at Heart]

This takes a week to hit the headlines?

A foreign couple are kidnapped like this and it isn't news?

[KrisPhuket]

Same , same but different . 100 k $ , he got in serious shit and the boy's dont take it longer.

As said they are all not bad , only 99% is rude , 90 % no education, 91 % No T-shirt and 93 % are tossers .

Lest face it guy's if someone whispers a 100$ over the Phone ? it means shit hits the fan , and we all know sooooooooooooooooonnnnn or late .

[lucifer666]

Whatever, it still smells bad.

It's only when you see a mosquito landing on your testicles that you realise that there is always a way to solve problems without using violence,

You owe me a new keyboard, i spat my coffee all over mine, after reading that lol, brilliant

[lostinisaan]

Fishy. How does someone send them the 100K unless they know where they are?

And how many people have so much money in this country?

[nanapong]

Borsch? Thats not german! Porsche is german. Never heard of an austrian car named borsch as well!!!

Topic: this is weird.... Sth really smells in this story

You can't educate pork can you !!!!

[thailampang2012]

OMG!...I hope this is not true, and they need the money for other problem. If just one kidnapping works for the felons, that will start a very bad trend.

It is happening now in Brazil and Mexico. So badly that it is a special police force dealing with that problem there. The criminals kidnaps people and use their cellular phones to call the family asking for money, sometimes not too much money, some thousands, but they kidnap 2 or 3 people, most teenagers,.... a day! It is too easy. When that happens with rich adults, the money is big, may be millions, and most of the times they kill them anyway....Rich people in those countries don't drive very expensive cars keeping low profile for that reason alone, and its children go to school with bodyguards. Happens with some friends of mine in Mexico.

Will be very sad is happening here.

I hope that the honest Thai police will do something to stop this actions and not let it out the control. Will be more damaging than anything to Thailand's reputation.

Edited March 15, 2014 by thailampang2012

[lostinisaan]

Russian citizen Alexei Slabinskiy came to Phuket in April 2013 together with his girlfriend Yana Strizheus. The 39-old finance broker told friends and family that he was headed to Thailand for a holiday, and to learn Thai.

Why does it smell fishy?

[phuketrichard]

beats calling home and say, " i love it here but am running out of $$. can u please send me some more so i can continue my travels?"

Kidnapping would be new for phuket

[surfinglife]

Hmmm....would you let this bloke broker your finances? Mafia written all over this case. Apart from the Pacific Fleet and mafia there is nobody else in Vladovostok and he doesn't look like a sailor......

[Faranguy]

Fishy. How does someone send them the 100K unless they know where they are?

Western Union.

Interesting phrases, financial broker, going to learn Thai, need 100,000, likely death, silence.

Sounds like big trouble but did it start back home or here in LOS? Kidnappers normally specify the ransom, this sounds like a debt with a very determined debt collector. I am racking my brain for other possibities but really the important thing is to rescue this couple and work out the rest later.

[shaurene]

They were here long time, he a finance broker, big possibility he got in with some of the Russian Mafia possibly investing some of their money and it all went hence the $100,000. As most of us have heard there is a lot of Russian money here.

Not wise to <removed> around with these guys.

[saroq]

Check if they're travel insurance covers kidnapping.

[Tiffer]

$100k..? Helluva bar bill

Edited March 15, 2014 by Tiffer