Police officers among eight arrested for kidnappings in Ubon Ratchathani

Eight people, including four police officers and a para-military ranger, have been taken into custody by police in Phibun Mangsahan district of Thailand’s northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani for alleged involvement of the abduction of seven Chinese nationals for ransom.

Police say they were informed, by a Laotian through Facebook, that the seven Chinese were captured by a gang of men, including some police officers, on January 23 and taken to a resort in the district, while negotiations took place over the payment of a ransom for their safe release.

The gang then asked one of the hostages to contact their friends in Laos and ask them send them five million baht. The amount was later negotiated down to three million baht.

It is reported that one of the hostages managed to conceal a cellphone and used it to call a friend in Laos and inform him of their location, so he could seek help from the Thai police.

Meanwhile, Phibun Mangsahan and immigration police developed a rescue plan and raided the resort, from where they safely rescued the seven hostages. The eight suspects, who also include two civilians and a Myanmar national, were arrested.

Pol Lt-Gen Archayon Kraithong, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said today that the police commissioner-general, Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, has vowed to deal harshly with the four police officers allegedly involved in the kidnapping.

(Thai PBS World)