Japanese man complains of extortion
source: Bkk Post Feb 8 2008 Says he was forced to pay protection money Ayutthaya _ The Provincial Police Region 1 office is joining an investigation into a complaint filed by a Japanese businessman that he was the victim a Thai-Japanese gang running a protection racket. Pol Lt-Gen Rachata Yensuang, the Provincial Police Region 1 commissioner, said investigators from his office would join local police in Ayutthaya to investigate a complaint of extortion lodged by Nikuchi Tashimi, a 42-year-old Japanese man who runs a business in Ayutthaya. Police would also contact the Japanese embassy for information which may be useful in the case. Mr Tashimi alleged that a group of people, including a Thai woman and three Japanese nationals, had demanded protection money from him in exchange for the smooth running of his business. Mr Tashimi earlier alerted tourism police about the extortion bid. He was later taken to file a complaint with Ayutthaya police, where he said the gang had been contacting him since Feb 1. Two members of the gang, one Thai woman and one Japanese woman, had met him at a hotel in the province and tried to persuade him to be a business partner with them, but he turned them down. Mr Tashimi said the two women later took two Japanese men to meet him at the same hotel where they forced him to pay protection money, saying that if he wanted to continue operating his business in the province he had to pay them. They threatened him with physical harm if he refused to pay. Mr Tashimi admitted he paid an unspecified amount of money to the gang.
Pol Lt-Gen Rachata said footage from the hotel's closed circuit camera confirmed the meeting between the gang and the businessman had taken place at the hotel.
Local police had paid another visit to Mr Tashimi to ask for additional details in the case, but he refused to say any more, fearing for his own safety. Mr Tashimi also reported the alleged extortion bid to the Japanese embassy. Pol Lt-Gen Rachata said investigators from his bureau would work with local police to gather facts about the background of the gang and any crimes it had committed in the past. The team would check whether men in uniform had been involved with the extortion bid. Pol Lt-Gen Rachata said he has ordered local police in all provinces under his jurisdiction to provide safety to tourists and businessmen, particularly foreign nationals. He also ordered police to keep a close watch on crimes in other industrial provinces such as Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Lop Buri and Saraburi, where many foreign investors have set up businesses. Crimes against foreign tourists have done much to erode investor confidence, he said.

Thai wife arrested after another Canadian shot dead
source: The nation Feb 13th

You got it greed again????Three people are in custody following the slaying of a Canadian man, who was shot dead in his home in Ranong early last week. Oil worker Dale Henry, 48, was shot dead at close range. His Thai wife Maneerat, or Nee, her Thai lover and a gunman - allegedly the uncle of her boyfriend - have been charged over the murder. All three are thought to be from Ranong. Thai authorities say that Maneerat organised the killing, allegedly giving him a glass of scotch whisky, waiting for him to fall asleep, then sending a text message to her lover, who allegedly entered the house with a hired gunman through a door she had left unlocked. Local police have reportedly found incriminating text messages. One allegedly said "Do it tonight, uncle", while a later one allegedly advised him to "behave normally at the cremation". Henry's death has made headlines in Western Canada - he is the second Canadian shot and killed in Thailand this year, following the fatal shooting of Leo del Pinto by a policeman in Pai on January 6. Members of Henry's family are understood to be en route to Thailand for the funeral, being held in Ranong this week. Henry's 27yearold wife is thought to have been motivated by greed. National newspaper The Globe and Mail quoted Henry's younger brother Richard as saying he suspected his brother was killed for an insurance policy worth 1 million Canadian dollars (Bt32 million). Speaking from Vancouver Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Bangkok, he was quoted as saying: "It just makes me sick. He was just such a trusting guy and he was way too generous." Henry grew up in Victoria and worked as a paramedic in Alberta. In recent years he had been working in West Africa - Nigeria - as the regional head of safety for Noble Drilling. His family said he would spend a month in Ranong with his wife, then two months in Nigeria.
The Globe and Mail said the couple had met when Maneerat was working behind a bar on Koh Samui. "Despite an age difference of more than 20 years, Henry thought he had found true love. "Once they were married he gave her everything, his brother said. They lived like royalty on his $10,000 a month salary. He bought a home for her parents and bought her an SUV. And while some Western men gave their wives an allowance, Henry gave Maneerat, or Nee as he called her, access to all his bank accounts, his brother said. "He bought her everything, he said. 'That's why it's so unbelievable,' he was quoted saying. "But when Richard last visited Thailand in July 2007, the three of them had discussed the $1million life insurance policy provided by his company. Should Henry be killed, Nee was to give his brother 10 per cent of the settlement. "On a trip with his wife's family to northern Thailand at the end of last summer, Henry fell and broke his leg in eight places. Henry had been off work ever since."

Swede charged over sunken sub
source: Bkk Post Feb 15 2008

A Swedish man reported to police yesterday to answer charges he cheated a Thai businessman who contracted his company to tow an old submarine from Sweden to Thailand. Otto Kreuger, 29, who was accompanied by his lawyer, met Pol Lt-Col Thanat Thanongsak at Bang Kruai police station in Nonthaburi yesterday afternoon to acknowledge the charges filed against him by Jesada Detsakulrit, the owner of Jesada Technik Museum Co. According to Mr Jesada's complaint, he purchased a decommissioned Russian U-194 submarine for 28 million baht to put in an exhibition at his museum in Nakhon Chaisi district in Nakhon Pathom in April, 2005. He then contracted Mr Kreuger to tow it from the Submarine Museum in Helsingborg in Sweden to Thailand. Mr Kreuger charged him more than 20.4 million baht for the towing service and Mr Jesada put down a deposit of 7.8 million baht, he said. While it was being towed, the submarine sank off the coast of Denmark on Feb 5 last year. Mr Jesada then asked the Marine Department why the submarine sank. The department later informed him that the vessel used to tow the submarine was in fact registered as a leisure boat, not a towing ship.
Mr Jesada alleged in his complaint that Mr Kreuger had misled him into believing a genuine towing ship would be used. Mr Kreuger also told him the boat regularly towed large vessels across the ocean, so Mr Jesada decided to hire Mr Kreuger for the job.

US bank robbers 'on the run in Thailand'
source: Bkk Post Feb 14th. Austin, Texas (Agencies) - Police say two married, serial bank robbers fled to Thailand after holding up banks across the United States, including Texas. The wife in the bank robbing duo, dubbed "The Ponytail Bandit" has been identified as 21-year-old Morgan Michelle Hoke from Louisiana. Her husband of 15 months is identified as 26-year-old Stuart Michael Romine, a native of Austin. Police say both Hoke and Romine robbed a Wachovia Bank in Northwest Austin, but not at the same time. Police say the Ponytail Bandit robbed the Wachovia last May, while her husband held the bank up in November of 2006, then again in January of this year. Authorities also say Hoke robbed two other banks in California and Washington. Police say Romine is also a suspect in two bank robberies, in Sugarland, Texas, and the city of Houston. About a month ago, the FBI said they received a tip from a confidential source identifying Hoke as the Ponytail Bandit. On Jan 18th, the FBI reported Hoke and Romine flew from Atlanta to Seoul, South Korea, then eventually to Bangkok. She has since been caught in a GH off Khao San Rd.

Crooked police part of vehicle-hire racket
source: Bkk Post Feb 14

Where theres money Thais abound? Even a lieutenant-colonel is among the suspects. A group of police has been part of a vehicle-hire racket which has stolen an estimated 1,000 cars, a senior police officer said yesterday. Two officers from the Special Branch suspected of involvement were expected to surrender today, Metropolitan Police chief Aswin Khwanmuang said. Another suspect was a police lieutenant-colonel in the Economic and Cyber Crime Division. Pol Lt-Gen Aswin said national police chief Seripisuth Temiyavej had ordered an immediate investigation and the arrest of all those involved. Jutti Thammanowanit, who oversees car theft cases, had been assigned to set up an investigation team, which would make daily progress reports. The move followed the discovery of a missing minivan in the compound of the Royal Thai Police headquarters in Pathumwan district on Tuesday. The owner was shocked to see his vehicle in the Special Branch parking lot when he and other victims of the racket arrived to file complaints. Police said a bogus car rental company had deceived people into buying brand-new vehicles and then renting them out through the firm. The company then arranged to have the vehicles stolen and sold in neighbouring countries. Pol Maj-Gen Jutti said as many as 1,000 vehicles could have been stolen through rackets like this. So far, complaints have been filed by victims in Min Buri and Bang Phlad districts against two firms _ Paradise Car Rent Co and Yufuku Decorate Co. Paradise Car Rent owner Thanchanok Deesantia, 35, and Yufuku owner Natnarin Moohammad will be charged with swindling, he said. Mrs Thanchanok and her alleged accomplices were arrested on Sunday. Miss Natnarin and three other suspects were still at large. Pol Maj-Gen Jutti said police detectives would find out if there were other gangs operating in the same way. Meantime, a nationwide alert had been issued for stolen vehicles, especially in government office compounds since one of the suspects claimed these areas were used as ''safe'' parking lots by the thieves. Meanwhile, the Institute of Forensic Medicine is prosecuting 21 police officers and three civilians over the embezzlement of 1.15 million baht in fees paid by relatives of the dead for formaldehyde injections, used for embalming corpses, between 2004 and 2006.
The action follows a recent investigation by the Office of the Auditor-General.
What was happening: Thais were offered 33,000baht per monmth to bring there cars into the rental company. Many bought cars on finance from loan sharks and others –now no cars --- just finance to pay off???

Car-hire victims can't identify their vehicles

Feb 20th 2008 Bkk Post Police find it difficult to track down lost cars
Police investigating an alleged car-hire racket are having trouble tracing lost vehicles because the owners cannot provide essential details like chassis numbers. Pol Maj-Gen Jutti Thammanowanich, deputy metropolitan police commissioner, said many victims could not properly describe their vehicles or say whether they had any dents or other identifying features that would make them easier to trace. The owners were also reluctant to ask finance companies for the car registration books, which would provide the vehicle specifications. They feared the finance companies would take legal action against them for sub-leasing the cars, Pol Maj-Gen Jutti said. So far, only three police have recovered have been claimed by the owners, after proof of ownership was presented. A total of 638 vehicles have been reported stolen by three bogus car-rental companies _ Paradise Car Rent, Yufuku Co and Yufuku Decorate. Victims have reported cases to police in the Bang Phlad, Min Buri, Nimit Mai and Prawet areas. These people allege they were duped into allowing the firms to rent out their vehicles, with the promise of high monthly returns. After a few months of renting the vehicles, the promised payments stopped and the companies allegedly arranged to have the vehicles stolen and sold in neighbouring countries. Police have arrested five suspects and are looking for eight other members of the gang. Pol Maj-Gen Jutti said all complaints would be brought in one case. The suspects face charges of fraud, which carries a maximum of five years' imprisonment. In Chon Buri, at least 40 people claiming to be victims of the same racket have lodged complaints against Chor Chok Udomrat Co. Police are gathering evidence to seek an arrest warrant for company owner Jakkarin Ploysarak. Pol Col Preecha Thimamontri, who heads the team searching for the missing vehicles, said they are looking in border areas. In Khon Kaen, police are trying to recover the chassis and engine numbers of about 20 cars Nong Khai police seized from a garage on Saturday.

Senior officer denies role in abduction
Alleged torture victim identifies BPP suspect

sFeb 20th 2008

The superior officer of alleged members of the Border Patrol Police (BPP) extortion gang has denied any role in the abduction and torture of a pregnant suspect to make her falsely confess to drug trafficking charges. Pol Col Somkiat Nuathong, chief of the 42nd BPP bureau based in Nakhon Si Thammarat, said he never ordered his subordinates to abduct Juthaporn Rodnoon, torture her and force her to confess to a drug trafficking charge. News reports that he masterminded the abduction of the woman may have stemmed from a misunderstanding on the part of reporters, he said. However, he did appoint an anti-drugs team, which made its own decisions on whether to make arrests. Pol Col Somkiat defended himself after five wanted non-commissioned BPP officers from Nakhon Si Thammarat turned themselves in to police in Bangkok to fight the extortion charges. The five also denied torturing Ms Juthaporn to make her confess. They claimed they were following their superiors' orders in handling Mrs Juthaporn's case. The five officers are Pol Sgt-Maj Suwit Suthawi, Pol Sgt-Maj Rungsimant Sukkaew, Pol Sgt-Maj Nirun Taemchuay, Pol Sgt Apisak Polsawat and Pol Sgt Phanang Duangkamol. They were accused of being part of a wider border police extortion gang allegedly headed by Pol Capt Nat Chonnithiwanit, who is under arrest. The gang allegedly abducted Mrs Juthaporn in the Phetkasem area of Bangkok on Feb 4 last year, kept her in a motel and tortured her until she falsely confessed to being a drug trafficker. She was two months' pregnant and gave birth in jail while on trial. The court acquitted her on Oct 29 last year. Pol Col Somkiat said complaints had been lodged against Pol Capt Nat's team in the past, but a police inquiry set up to look into them ruled the team was not guilty. Meanwhile, Mrs Juthaporn yesterday positively identified the five BPP officers who have surrendered. She said she felt safer now that the five officers were in police custody. The officers were denied bail. Pol Col Anucha Uam-charoen, superintendent at Phetkasem police station which is investigating the gang, said his team will conclude its investigation report by next week before forwarding the case to public prosecutors. Deputy police chief Pol Gen Thani Somboonsap said 76 complaints nationwide have been lodged against the gang members. Other complaints were directed at more senior policemen accused of collusion with the gang Source Bkk Post

Singer Tata Youngs life threatened, man arrested

Feb 20th Bkk Post Police have arrested a man who allegedly sent famous singer Amita ''Tata'' Young death threats and demanded five million baht from her. Pornthep Poonpol, 30, was apprehended about noon as he drove a motorcycle to Major Cineplex Ratchayothin in Chatuchak district, allegedly expecting to collect the money. Metropolitan police chief Aswin Kwanmuang said the singer reported she had received a death threat from a man who phoned her company, Tata Entertainment. The caller claimed he was hired to kill her and her fiance, Prem Busarakamwong, but he did not want to do it. He demanded five million baht in return for sparing their lives and revealing the names and pictures of his boss and other members of the hit team. He said if he did not contact her again in three days, he may have been silenced. But the calls continued. After several discussions, the caller agreed to reduce the requested sum to 4.3 million baht and arranged to pick it up yesterday. Mr Pornthep was charged with extortion, forcing another person to act against her will and forging documents. He also drove a motorcycle with fake licence plates. Source Bkk Post

US man gets 16 years for sex abuse of girls

Feb 20th 2008 The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced an American man to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing underage girls. Glenn Richard Allen, 61, was convicted of paying girls aged 14 to perform oral sex on him at a beachside rresidence in Pattaya in February last year. He was arrested along with two Britons, a Finn, and two Thai women accused of procuring the girls during a police sweep last March. Their cases are being tried separately. The court was also told the men had video-taped the sex acts. Allen, who has lived in Pattaya for more than 10 years, had pleaded not guilty. He was released on 1.6 million baht bail pending an appeal. Source Bkk Post