At first, the Phuket court was going to sentence the Russians to four years in prison, but then reduced the term in half. Reason: the accused cooperated with the investigation and fully admitted their guilt, although initially they sharply denied their involvement in the crime.
On January 31, 2024, a man and woman from Russia were returning home and were abducted in broad daylight near a snack bar on Hongyok Utis Street in Mueang district. The kidnappers put the couple in a black Hyundai minivan and took them away in an unknown direction. The attackers told the victims that they needed to transfer funds to the thieves’ crypto wallet, “otherwise things will be bad.” The man transferred digital assets worth 31 million baht ($901,200), after which unknown persons dropped the couple off somewhere on the road.
The husband and wife immediately contacted the police, who promptly detained two suspects in the area where the victims lived. Two more suspects were found at the airport. And the organizer of the kidnapping was detained in a massage parlor on Patong Beach.
Earlier, Thai police arrested a Russian citizen for providing cryptocurrency exchange services to tourists.
Source: Bits
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