Kidnap report questioned
Pantipa Jittrawuttiporn,
Supachai Petchthewee,
Kornkamol Aksorndej
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS showing three South Koreans leaving the Metropolitan Police Division 5 office on their own without anyone accompanying them has cast doubt on a story that they were kidnapped by some officers for ransom.

"We have already examined recordings from closed-circuit television systems at various locations," Pol Colonel Banjong Amarit, a superintendent at the division, said yesterday.

The three suspects were brought in last week for questioning over online gambling services, but their relatives filed a complaint with Crime Suppression Police claiming they were abducted for a Bt2 million ransom.

They were later found safe at the Seacon Square shopping mall.

"Recordings from security cameras at the complex showed that no police accompanied them to the place," he said.

Banjong said the Crime Suppression Division would handle the probe into the accusation that some of his subordinates demanded Bt2 million from these Korean suspects.

"I won't protect my men if they're found guilty. By the way, they have told me that the allegation is false," he said.

Myeong Ildo, 33, Lee Young Jun, 29, and Kim Kwanghun, 30, who were described by relatives as kidnap victims, showed up with an interpreter at the Crime Suppression headquarters yesterday to testify.

After two hours, Pol Lt Colonel Pongsawai Chamlam-jiak said they could remember the faces of two South Koreans involved in the alleged incident.

"But their information on the Thais is still confusing," he said.

At this stage, it remained unclear whether the suspects were detained.

The three Koreans refused to talk to the media.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Kidnap-report-questioned-30251833.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-14

"I won't protect my men if they're found guilty. By the way, they have told me that the allegation is false," "he said."

There you go! Case closed.

nah... what do the policemen have to lose

if found guilty of ANYTHING

they MIGHT get transferred

they have a : STAY OUT OF JAIL CARD

Korean extortionist arrested

BANGKOK: -- Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police arrested a South Korean who they said was involved with an extortionist gang to abduct three of his countrymen for ransom.

CSD police said they arrested Kim Seung Cheul, a South Korean national, Tuesday night from an apartment, after questioning three Koreans who were abducted by the gang, involving some metropolitan police officers.

The three were rescued by CSD police after their relatives filed complaint with the CSD that they were arrested by police for operating online soccer bet.

The arresting team, however, demanded money from them in exchange for dropping charges against them.

Following the complaints and investigations by CSD police, seven metropolitan police officers have been placed under investigation for allegedly taking bribes from a group of Koreans operating an online gambling racket.

They included two inspectors and five non-commissioned police officers of metropolitan police .

Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Lt-Gen Prawuth promised that the seven officers who were not identified would face harsh punitive actions if it was proven that they were involved in the wrongdoing.

CSD police said Wednesday the alleged Korean extortionist will face three charges for extorting money from his countrymen – money extortion, illegal detention of others, and theft.

Police said they were interrogating Kim to find out other collaborators in the extortion.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/korean-extortionist-arrested


-- Thai PBS 2015-01-14

So they were shown to have walked free - did they pay then or what?

<<Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Lt-Gen Prawuth promised that the seven officers who were not identified>>............ why?

There are a handful of South Koreans who run online gambling websites, had a friend who use to rent to two folks who always pay their rent late but were always very apologetic and discreet around the apartment.

So many mystery around foreigners on thailand. Where is sharlock Holmes ???