Lawyer calls for suspension of police allegedly involved in kidnapping for ransom

Atchariya Reungrattanaphong, lawyer and president of Crime Victim Assistance Association, said, “The victims reached out to the association after they had been kidnapped by a gang comprising six police officers and four civilians,” he said. “I have informed National Police Chief Pol General Jakthip Chaichinda about the incidents and urged him to have the accused officers suspended from duty until the investigation is complete.”
One of the victims, Nanthawat Op-orm, 36, said that he was stopped by a group of policemen while driving from Rayong to Bangphlee district in Samut Prakarn. “They searched my car but found nothing illegal, after which they brought me, my wife and our three children to a football stadium,” he said. “They tortured me and my wife, threatening to press a drug charge, and demanded that I gave them Bt100,000 in exchange for my family’s freedom.”
“Since I didn’t have the money, they locked the five of us in two rooms in a resort on Sukhumvit Road,” he added. “Two days later, they let us go after I managed to find Bt52,500 and gave it to them.”
Atchariya added that the gang has been active in Bangbo district of Samut Prakarn and Bangpakong district of Chachoengsao province, where they used the resort on Sukhumvit Road as their base.