Thai authorities arrested a 26-year-old Russian native wanted in connection with a violent robbery that took place in Phuket, after finding him hiding in the back seat of a car on Koh Samui.
According to Thai authorities, the suspect, identified only as Dmitrii, has since been detained at Nathon Pier following a joint operation spearheaded by Pol Col Panya Niratimanon, Superintendent of Koh Samui Police Station.
Authorities claimed that he was discovered curled up in the trunk of a blue Nissan sedan driven by another Russian national identified as Stolbov Gleb, after arriving from Don Sak through a ferry.
Thailand police apprehend crypto thief
The arrest was a result of coordinated efforts with Chalong Police in Phuket, who confirmed that Phuket Provincial Court Dmitrii had issued an arrest warrant for his alleged role in a robbery targeting a fellow Russian.
After his arrest, he was taken to the Koh Samui police station for questioning, with the help of an interpreter, but he refused to give his statement. He will be transferred to Chalong police station in Phuket, where he will face further legal proceedings.
According to Thai authorities, the victim, Aleksandr, had filed a complaint at the Chalong police station in Phuket, reporting that he had lost about 35,000 USDT, which was about 1.2 million baht. He added that the culprits were about four, noting that they were also Russian nationals. He fingered Dmitrii as the one who called him and invited him to a meeting at a house in Soin Klum Yang, located in the Chalong sub-district of Phuket, claiming that he wanted to have some business-related discussions.
However, Aleksandr claimed that upon getting to the location of the meeting, Dmitrii was nowhere to be found. Instead, he was confronted by the four Russian nationals, with the group immediately attacking and detaining him inside the property. He added that the gang then proceeded to threaten him, forcing him to transfer his cryptocurrency using the Tron scan application before they let him go.
After he reported, police commenced investigations into the issue and discovered that the four men had left Thailand separately.
Wealthy crypto holders turn to private securities
Thai authorities mentioned that they discovered that Dmitrii was still in the country, with investigators mentioning that the men used him as a decoy, luring the victim into the trap. Thailand officials said they kept Dmitrii under surveillance until they received actionable intel that he planned to escape by hiding in Koh Samui.
Investigators mentioned that Dmitrii had planned with fellow Russian, Stolbov Gleb, to help him leave Phuket and transport him to a pier in Surat Thani.
This incident is not a standalone, with incidents like this happening across the globe. Since the beginning of the year, there has been an uptick in the occurrence of crypto kidnappings, with the assailants demanding different digital assets before they release their victim.
As previously reported by Cryptopolitan, another crypto investor lured a tourist into an apartment to conduct business. Upon getting to the apartment, he was held by the investor, who ensured torture for weeks before he found a small window to escape through.
In another incident, 14 people, including 11 police officers, were sentenced to life after they kidnapped a businessman and tortured him into giving up the digital assets in his possession. The rise in crypto kidnappings since the beginning of the year has forced wealthy crypto personalities and executives to seek private security personnel.
