100 Dsi, Police Officers Raid Koh Samui, Arrest Briton

[JimsKnight]

Does anybody know if this "Peter Watkins Jones" is the same Peter Jones that owns the Samui Bungy jump, the Aussie pub West of Big Budda, part owner of Coco Blues, part owner of the sailing club and developer of townhouses on Samui?

This Peter is an Aussie while the report says he's a Brit. About the same age. Anyway, wondering if it's the same guy.

And Crispin what's is name being the same guy who runs and owns Samui Phangan Real Estate Magazine?

If you Google "Crispin Samui" you will find the anwser: http://www.networksamui.com/friends.html (Which is "Yes").

He also runs "Captain Caveman Dive Centre". Remember: all are innocent until proven guilty.

I know of Crispin, he's an ex-Royal Artillery Officer no less! He got injured in Northern Island in the early 90s and jacked it all in (medical discharge) and headed off to Thailand to seek his fortune.

Although I've only conversed with him in email (booking diving courses) I took him as being an 'ok guy' albeit one who used to charge the highest rates for diving courses! Hence the reason I steered clear of Samui

Now in 2007 it looks like he's bitten off more than he could chew....

He should of stuck to the diving and left the (un)real estate quagmire well alone...

Edited October 8, 2007 by JimsKnight

[Nepal4me]

Does anybody know what happened to Peter (Spike) I forget his last name? He's the guy that was arrested early on in this investigation. He has a Brit passport but lived in Australia since he was 3 yrs old so speaks like an Aussie. He was in the Aussie Navy for many years. He was building a set of townhouses in and around Cheung Mon. Also owned the Billabong up in Fisherman Village and the Bungy jump.

Anyway, anybody know if he got off and if he's still working on his townhouse projects or what happened to him?

Is that not the Watkins-jones from the OP?

Used to be in the Aus Navy?

I sometimes used to see him in Bangkok and he was relating his tale about his arrest - noty seen him for a while though.

Yeah, that's the guy. I had a few dealings with him a few years ago and found him to be a totally honest guy so I wondered if he fared ok in all of this and if his investments were still going ok.

[Prakanong]

Does anybody know what happened to Peter (Spike) I forget his last name? He's the guy that was arrested early on in this investigation. He has a Brit passport but lived in Australia since he was 3 yrs old so speaks like an Aussie. He was in the Aussie Navy for many years. He was building a set of townhouses in and around Cheung Mon. Also owned the Billabong up in Fisherman Village and the Bungy jump.

Anyway, anybody know if he got off and if he's still working on his townhouse projects or what happened to him?

Is that not the Watkins-jones from the OP?

Used to be in the Aus Navy?

I sometimes used to see him in Bangkok and he was relating his tale about his arrest - noty seen him for a while though.

Yeah, that's the guy. I had a few dealings with him a few years ago and found him to be a totally honest guy so I wondered if he fared ok in all of this and if his investments were still going ok.

I have had a few drinks with him in Bangkok over the years - met him through Big Joe the Pieman

[sriracha john]

Bikie witness disappears

An Adelaide man has vanished hours before he was to give evidence about an alleged Bandidos' crime ring in Thailand having told police of threats to kill him.

Erik Riemsdyk, who is from Elizabeth but now lives in Thailand, told of the attempt in an explosive 14-page report he prepared for Thai police on the gang's activities.

Mr Riemsdyk was going to testify against two alleged Bandidos members on the Thai island of Koh Samui when he vanished on October 4.

He was last seen when he checked into a hotel near the court, but checked out again soon after. Australian officials are trying to find the 44-year-old, who has been reported missing by his South Australian family.

The Thai court has ordered prosecutors to find Mr Riemsdyk in time for a hearing tomorrow at which he is required to give evidence.

Mr Riemsdyk, who moved to the holiday island 10 years ago, said in his dossier that Bandidos members had taken over the tropical paradise with drugs, prostitution and standover tactics.

In his report, seen by the Sunday Mail, Mr Riemsdyk said his accusations "specifically related to money laundering, drug dealing and smuggling, extortion, murder, terrorism, internet and media loading and networking to create an unfair business environment".

'"This letter is a formal request for assistance with respect to the extortion and attempted murder of myself by high-ranking members of foreign organised crime gangs operating in Koh Samui, Thailand – specifically the Bandidos Motorcycle Gang," he wrote.

The report, handed to Thai police in 2005, did not provide further details on the alleged attempt on Mr Riemsdyk's life.

The document was to be used in the case against two accused bikies, both from Europe, who were living in Koh Samui.

They are accused of being members of a secret society of extortion. One of the pair, a former business partner of Mr Riemsdyk, has claimed the case is nothing more than mistaken identity.

"It was a motorcycle club, nothing more," he said in a statement.

Mr Riemsdyk detailed the names of 36 bars, 46 restaurants, 14 health spas, 74 hotels and resorts, 32 property companies, 40 individual properties, 10 dive companies and seven water sports companies who he says have links to crime syndicates.

He named 73 individuals – including four Australians – as involved in money laundering and drug running on the island.

One of the Australians faced charges last year and was held by police, but he was later released when the charges were dropped.

Mr Riemsdyk also named a former Australian policeman as being involved in the crime syndicate. The ex-policeman said he had seen the two alleged bikies, who are currently on trial, wearing Bandidos colours, but denied Mr Riemsdyk's allegations. "His report is totally without substance," he said. "The writings of somebody mentally imbalanced." The former policeman was used by the prosecution as an expert on motorcycle gangs.

In his report, Mr Riemsdyk said he was forced to join the motorcycle gang after they took over his monthly real estate magazine. He said bikies were creating fake land title documents claiming they owned vast stretches of picturesque national park.

They would use the land, the report said, to build 5-star villas that would then be sold or rented to rich clientele, he wrote. From there, the bikies would provide what he described as the "five Cs" – "cigars, caviar, champagne, cocaine and c***" within the walls of the exclusive communities.

"What I have been exposed to is just the tip of the iceberg," Mr Riemsdyk wrote. "I sincerely believe that Samui has been completely overrun by foreign organised crime and that the Bandidos motorcycle gang, along with British organised crime, are leading the assault."

A Thai news report claimed Mr Riemsdyk went to ground after he refused to transport several kilos of heroin for the Bandidos, but resurfaced to help police in the lead-up to the court case against the two men.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was assisting the family of a man reported as missing in Koh Samui "and have recommended that they contact their local police station to report the man as missing".

"Our embassy in Bangkok has been attempting to contact the man," she said.

Members of the Adelaide man's family said they had "no comment to make whatsoever" when contacted by the Sunday Mail.

- Adelaide Now

[taxexile]

Big Joe the Pieman

is he any relation to paulo "pizzaface" pescalotta ?

[AGareth2]

"He said a Briton and two Danish men were still elusive.'

Sounds like the Scarlet Pimpernell.

[lazeeboy]

Bikie witness disappears

An Adelaide man has vanished hours before he was to give evidence about an alleged Bandidos' crime ring in Thailand having told police of threats to kill him.

Erik Riemsdyk, who is from Elizabeth but now lives in Thailand, told of the attempt in an explosive 14-page report he prepared for Thai police on the gang's activities.

Mr Riemsdyk was going to testify against two alleged Bandidos members on the Thai island of Koh Samui when he vanished on October 4.

He was last seen when he checked into a hotel near the court, but checked out again soon after. Australian officials are trying to find the 44-year-old, who has been reported missing by his South Australian family.

The Thai court has ordered prosecutors to find Mr Riemsdyk in time for a hearing tomorrow at which he is required to give evidence.

Mr Riemsdyk, who moved to the holiday island 10 years ago, said in his dossier that Bandidos members had taken over the tropical paradise with drugs, prostitution and standover tactics.

In his report, seen by the Sunday Mail, Mr Riemsdyk said his accusations "specifically related to money laundering, drug dealing and smuggling, extortion, murder, terrorism, internet and media loading and networking to create an unfair business environment".

'"This letter is a formal request for assistance with respect to the extortion and attempted murder of myself by high-ranking members of foreign organised crime gangs operating in Koh Samui, Thailand – specifically the Bandidos Motorcycle Gang," he wrote.

The report, handed to Thai police in 2005, did not provide further details on the alleged attempt on Mr Riemsdyk's life.

The document was to be used in the case against two accused bikies, both from Europe, who were living in Koh Samui.

They are accused of being members of a secret society of extortion. One of the pair, a former business partner of Mr Riemsdyk, has claimed the case is nothing more than mistaken identity.

"It was a motorcycle club, nothing more," he said in a statement.

Mr Riemsdyk detailed the names of 36 bars, 46 restaurants, 14 health spas, 74 hotels and resorts, 32 property companies, 40 individual properties, 10 dive companies and seven water sports companies who he says have links to crime syndicates.

He named 73 individuals – including four Australians – as involved in money laundering and drug running on the island.

One of the Australians faced charges last year and was held by police, but he was later released when the charges were dropped.

Mr Riemsdyk also named a former Australian policeman as being involved in the crime syndicate. The ex-policeman said he had seen the two alleged bikies, who are currently on trial, wearing Bandidos colours, but denied Mr Riemsdyk's allegations. "His report is totally without substance," he said. "The writings of somebody mentally imbalanced." The former policeman was used by the prosecution as an expert on motorcycle gangs.

In his report, Mr Riemsdyk said he was forced to join the motorcycle gang after they took over his monthly real estate magazine. He said bikies were creating fake land title documents claiming they owned vast stretches of picturesque national park.

They would use the land, the report said, to build 5-star villas that would then be sold or rented to rich clientele, he wrote. From there, the bikies would provide what he described as the "five Cs" – "cigars, caviar, champagne, cocaine and c***" within the walls of the exclusive communities.

"What I have been exposed to is just the tip of the iceberg," Mr Riemsdyk wrote. "I sincerely believe that Samui has been completely overrun by foreign organised crime and that the Bandidos motorcycle gang, along with British organised crime, are leading the assault."

A Thai news report claimed Mr Riemsdyk went to ground after he refused to transport several kilos of heroin for the Bandidos, but resurfaced to help police in the lead-up to the court case against the two men.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was assisting the family of a man reported as missing in Koh Samui "and have recommended that they contact their local police station to report the man as missing".

"Our embassy in Bangkok has been attempting to contact the man," she said.

Members of the Adelaide man's family said they had "no comment to make whatsoever" when contacted by the Sunday Mail.

- Adelaide Now

met this guy many times ,a real walter mitty ,my bar was mentioned by him as paying protection money ,utter rubbish ,crispin is a very very close freind of mine ,utter crap ........

[sriracha john]

UPDATE.... the missing witness has been found..maybe...

One of two Adelaide men who vanished from a resort island in Thailand has been found – but authorities will not reveal which one.

In unrelated incidents, Erik Riemsdyk, 44, and Stephen Moy, 50, vanished from the resort island of Koh Samui, leaving friends and family to desperately search for answers.

Mr Riemsdyk was last seen on the morning of October 4, checking out of his hotel just hours before he was due to give evidence against an alleged crime ring run by the Bandidos motorcycle club.

Three days earlier, former SANFL [south Australian National Football League] player and businessman Stephen Moy was due to board a plane home to Adelaide, after telling friends and family he was in danger from a business deal that had gone sour.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said they were aware of the location of one of the men and were offering him assistance. But she refused to say which man had been found. "The other remains missing," she said.

"We continue to assist Thai police in the search for the missing person. "We are providing consular assistance to the one who has been located."

Maggie Moy, who separated from Mr Moy nearly 10 years ago, said she had not heard from her former partner since September 24 when he left a message on her phone. "He had been getting threats in relation to a business deal he'd entered into," she said. "In the last three months, he had become extremely concerned for his own safety. "He had contacted police in Adelaide and also his accountant regarding his concerns.

"They advised him to come back to Australia and he had a ticket booked for the first of October."

But Mr Moy, a successful businessman, did not board the plane and has not been heard from since. Friends and family believe he has been murdered.

The Adelaide man moved to the Thai island in 2004 to enjoy the fruits of years of hard work investing in the nightclub and hotel industry. It is understood he invested millions in a business venture to build a resort at the popular Chaweng Beach. But the deal went sour when Mr Moy was pressured to put more and more money into the project.

After nine weeks without word, Mr Moy's friends are now considering flying to Thailand to conduct their own inquiries. "I'm worried that no investigations have begun," Ms Moy said. "We've had no feedback from the Thai authorities. I'm extremely concerned and I'd like answers."

Mr Moy's accountant, Alan Letcher, said his client had feared for his life over the business deal. "There's not a day goes by that I don't try and think of ways to get this investigation moving," he said. "We've got a fair bit of supportive evidence as to how he felt with what he was going through. "We've passed it all through the missing persons unit, Interpol and the embassy." Mr Letcher said his client kept in regular contact and had always let him know if he was going to be away from home for any period of time.

Attempts by the Sunday Mail to contact Mr Moy's business partner in Thailand were unsuccessful.

Mr Riemsdyk, from Adelaide's northern suburbs, was last seen when he checked into a hotel near the court where he was due to testify, but checked out again soon after. He had lived on the tropical island for 10 years and claimed to have been privy to much of the island's bikie gang-related corruption.

He had prepared a 14-page dossier detailing accusations of "money laundering, drug dealing and smuggling, extortion, murder, terrorism, internet and media loading" which he was due to present at the trial of two accused bikie gang members.

He had told police that members of the Bandidos bikie gang, who he said were heavily involved in crooked land deals, had previously tried to kill him.

The dossier named 36 bars, 46 restaurants, 14 health spas, 74 hotels and resorts, 32 property companies, 40 individual properties, 10 dive companies and seven water sports companies that Mr Riemsdyk said had links to crime syndicates.

- Adelaide Now

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting place, Samui.

[sriracha john]

It was him, afterall... but of course, that still leaves one other Australian "missing" on Samui...

'Missing' SA man contacted

ADELAIDE man Erik Riemsdyk has been found alive and well after he was reported missing, feared murdered, in Thailand more than two months ago.

Mr Riemsdyk, 44, was one of two South Australian men who disappeared in unrelated incidents from the resort island of Koh Samui in recent months.

The second man, Stephen Moy, 50, vanished in late September after telling friends and family he was in danger after a business deal went sour.

Last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade revealed they had been in contact with one of the men, but could not reveal which one. They have now identified him as Mr Riemsdyk, saying he "recently made contact with our embassy in Bangkok".

Mr Riemsdyk was last seen checking out of his hotel on the morning he was due to give evidence against an alleged crime ring run by the Bandidos motorcycle club. A DFAT spokesman said consular assistance was being provided to Mr Riemsdyk and they were continuing the search for Mr Moy.

The spokesman was unaware of any "substantive connection" between the two cases.

- Adelaide Now

Edited December 15, 2007 by sriracha john

[brahmburgers]

what a net of intrigue is woven around Samui. People, as a species, are still several thousand years away from being mature enough to take husbandry over - what could be - a decent tropical island.

I fear Ko Pangan is steadily headed that same route. Hope not. We're running out of islands that can maintain a modicum of their natural charm. In 30 years, tourists will check in to a tel.booth sized room and do it all on virtual reality. ...clean sand, lovely tropcial breeze, divine virtual girlfriend sitting alongside - with nary a request from her to buy her a late-model SUV - ....can I get the job to program the virtual reality booth?

[LaoPo]

Bandidos Member Kim Lindegaard Nielsen Free in Three Weeks

Created 2007-12-27

News broadcast by Thai television said on Thursday that all major charges has been dropped against Danish Kim Lindegaard Nielsen because the police did not have sufficient evidence. Kim Lindegaard Nielsen was instead sentenced eighteen months for threatening another person to traffic in drugs. Kim Lindegaard Nielsen has so far been held in police custody for little more than seventeen months without being allowed release against bail, so in another three weeks he will be released.

The failure of the Thai public prosecutor to put a case together against Kim Lindegaard Nielsen with the insufficient evidence provided by the Thai police may have consequences for the cooperation between the Danish and the Thai police because the Thai police acted after four years of instruction by the Danish police in everything related to Bandidos and other MC gangs.

The arrest took place with the participation of Danish police officers. Danish police also helped search the house of the Dane and his neighbour, fellow Bandidos member Peter Buch Rosendahl and helped interpret the findings. Shortly afther the high profile arrest in July 2006, which was carried out as a big media show with the involvement of 100 special force policemen, a big group of Thai police officers flew to Denmark to get help in putting their case together.

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:OrnDr...lient=firefox-a

See also:

Danish "Bandido" jailed for intimidation on Thai holiday island

Bangkok - A Danish member of the notorious Bandidos criminal syndicate was sentenced to 18 months in jail by a Thai court for intimidating other foreigners on the resort island of Koh Samui, a local news report said Friday.

Kim Lindegaard Neilsen, 36, on Thursday was also found guilty of extortion, but will be released soon because he has already served 17 months in jail.

The Bandidos are a loose federation of what several law enforcement organizations have called gangsters that started in Houston, Texas, in the United States, in 1966.

The Thai police claimed to have smashed a 'secret society' that was preying on islanders, bribing officials, laundering money brought in from overseas and making illegal land deals. Scores of officers pounced on several foreign and Thai suspects and searched several houses in July 2006.

Most of the original charges were quickly dropped by the prosecution so that the suspects were charged with intimidation and secret society membership.

A 43-year-old former British soldier and fellow Bandido member, Crispin Paton-Smith, was acquitted Thursday for lack of evidence.

The court had heard that Neilsen and Paton-Smith had take over a bungee-jumping business from a fellow Bandido member, Briton Neil Patrick William, after threatening to harm him if he reported their allegedly criminal activities, reported The Nation online news service.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapac..._holiday_island

LaoPo

Edited January 6, 2008 by LaoPo

[geriatrickid]

That was some heavy duty sh*t. The Bandidos are a multinational criminal enterprise and 2nd only to the Hells Angels. The folks on Koh Samui should count their blessings that a turf war wasn't on the agenda. Canada had one of those in the 90's with over 150 deaths with alot of non implicated people getting killed like the 11 yr old boy that was disemboweled by a car bomb that went off on the street he was playing in.

As for the witness that fled, if he was scared, then he probably was with good cause.

Reported incidents such as this (CBC source) "In April 2006, eight people were found dead in a farmer's field near the small town of Shedden, Ont., about 30 kilometres southwest of London. Police said the killings virtually wiped out the Toronto chapter of the Bandidos" would impress upon anyone that there are no second chances.

Although locals were involved, don't be so hasty to judge them as just corrupt. The M.O. of the biker gangs relies heavily on intimidation. As for the failure to obtain convictions, it's par for the course. It took a decade for the Canadian prosecutors and police to build an effective court case against the Hells Angels. They even had to build a special secure court for all the accused. They got them in the end though.

[andrewdrummond]

Thai cops nab Britons on extortion charges

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police arrested British and Danish members of an outlawed biker gang on Tuesday on suspicion of fraud, extorting money from foreign businessmen and money laundering.

Police said they nabbed Dane Kim Neilsen, 36, who had led a branch of the Bandidos Hells Angel group on the southern island of Samui, and Briton Crispin Paton-Smith, 43, in raids in the notorious eastern beach town of Pattaya.

In a separate bust on Samui, they picked up a second Briton, Peter Watkin Jones, 40, who would also be charged with conspiring to commit crime and money laundering, said Colonel Piyawat Kingket of the Department of Special Investigation.

Another Dane remains on the run, police said.

According to Piyawat, the group worked with corrupt Thai officials to issue deeds to public land on Samui and then sell them to foreigners who wanted to live on the paradise island, a prime retirement destination for Europeans.

The two Danes had also laundered about $3 billion baht (43 million pounds) from illegal businesses in Denmark, Piyawat said.

A Thai suspect was also held in the raid, he said.

Source: Reuters - 18 July 2006

A little more research would show that most of these allegations were absolute drivel and based on a report by an expatriate which was not substantiated. Crispin Paton-Smith is former Royal Artillery who was invalided out after being the victim of a bomb in Northern Ireland. The Danes I know little about. But of course the Bandidos in Scandinavia do not have a good reputation which is why with the aid of Scanpol the Thai police got so exited.

Are the Bandidos or Koh Samui Pirates raping and pillaging? I would find space for that if it were true.

[animatic]

Thai cops nab Britons on extortion charges

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police arrested British and Danish members of an outlawed biker gang on Tuesday on suspicion of fraud, extorting money from foreign businessmen and money laundering.

Police said they nabbed Dane Kim Neilsen, 36, who had led a branch of the Bandidos Hells Angel group on the southern island of Samui, and Briton Crispin Paton-Smith, 43, in raids in the notorious eastern beach town of Pattaya.

In a separate bust on Samui, they picked up a second Briton, Peter Watkin Jones, 40, who would also be charged with conspiring to commit crime and money laundering, said Colonel Piyawat Kingket of the Department of Special Investigation.

Another Dane remains on the run, police said.

According to Piyawat, the group worked with corrupt Thai officials to issue deeds to public land on Samui and then sell them to foreigners who wanted to live on the paradise island, a prime retirement destination for Europeans.

The two Danes had also laundered about $3 billion baht (43 million pounds) from illegal businesses in Denmark, Piyawat said.

A Thai suspect was also held in the raid, he said.

Source: Reuters - 18 July 2006

A little more research would show that most of these allegations were absolute drivel and based on a report by an expatriate which was not substantiated. Crispin Paton-Smith is former Royal Artillery who was invalided out after being the victim of a bomb in Northern Ireland. The Danes I know little about. But of course the Bandidos in Scandinavia do not have a good reputation which is why with the aid of Scanpol the Thai police got so exited.

Are the Bandidos or Koh Samui Pirates raping and pillaging? I would find space for that if it were true.

Not heard anything bad about the Bandidos on Samui in years.

These guys just like to ride and hang out. They look much tougher than they ever act.

Peter J. was just a middleman in companies and had nothing to do with any alleged improprieties,

but did have records that someone wanted to look at to make a case. He was released in a week or so.

Crispin spent a year or so in jail, and was released as innocent of ANY wrong doings.

The other Dane was a high up Bandido and I believe he was removed from Thailand.

This was during the land boom here, and 'someone big' wanted their land and apparently got it from them.

It was all a set up from the git go over land titles. And I knew someone with land next door who'd seen all the surveys,

their land was perfectly legal for their company to own. And he said it was a con-job from somewhere up high.

This 'news' is just so yesterday, but the death of Kevin dredged it all up again.

Edited June 14, 2011 by animatic

[Samuian]

..strange how after some time all of a sudden strings seem to meet again...

[CHANGOVER]

7 fascinating pages. It should be made into a film. I hope the truth will out: are the Banditos really bandidos or did they just get mixed up in Thaksin's land-grabbing shenanigens then? keep us informed Mr Drummond.