Thai authorities detained a 34-year-old Lao woman on 4 May, suspecting her involvement in a criminal gang, purportedly comprising several police officers, accused of extorting THB 2.5 million (USD 67,975) from a group of Chinese individuals in Bangkok.
Sources reveal that the woman was taken into custody on a warrant for extortion and impersonation of a police officer. It is alleged that she utilized a credit card reader to collect ransom payments from Chinese victims and reportedly received a portion of THB 310,000 (USD 8,428).
The woman is among the 11 suspects implicated in the extortion incident. Of the five individuals sought under arrest warrants, four have been detained, including both police officers and a Chinese national believed to have been involved in locating the victims.
On 3 May, another individual, identified as a Chinese-language interpreter, was also arrested in connection with the case.
The gang specifically targeted Chinese individuals, according to Thai media, primarily those engaged in business activities along Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok and surrounding locales. Victims were forced into paying the gang to avoid facing fabricated charges related to illicit business practices, with payments being accepted in both conventional currency and digital transactions.
The criminal group abducted five Chinese businesspersons from a hotel located on Soi Sutthiporn Road in the Din Daeng district on 25 April, demanding a ransom of THB 2.5 million (USD 68,000) from them.
