Chinese Woman, 28 Abducted in Bangkok, Kidnappers Flee Thailand
Authorities in Thailand report another Chinese national has been abducted in Bangkok, with police acknowledging that the two kidnapping suspects have already fled the country. The abduction occurred on April 17, according to Pol. Col Noppasin Poonsawat.
The victim, 28, was a single Chinese woman who visited a nightclub on Bangkok’s Royal City Avenue. She met a Chinese man there who subsequently lured her to a flat in the Rama 9 neighbourhood. Upon their arrival they were met by another Chinese man who had taken up refuge in the unit. The two suspects tied her up before taking her phone, cash, and other belongings totaling 425,000 baht.
According to Bangkok Metro Police, the suspects left the flat in the early hours of April 18, when to Suvarnabhumi airport and fled Thailand.
According to police the victim suffered bruises from being hit in the face, she told police that she did not know the suspects.
The Royal Thai Police and the Foreign Affairs Division are working with Interpol to issue a Red Notice for the arrest of the two Chinese suspects.
Pol Col Noppasin, also told CTN News that 12 of the 13 suspects in the Sathon kidnapping case have been apprehended by Bang Pong Pang police. He went on to say that the remaining missing Chinese suspect has fled to another country and that Thailand’s Interpol division is seeking to extradite him back to Thailand.
In the meantime, authorities are seeking to get arrest warrants for the Thai collaborators implicated in the crime.
Kidnapping of Chinese Nationals
Kidnappings of Chinese people have been a major problem in recent years, with several high-profile cases recorded in different regions of the world. Aside from the instances in Thailand. Chinese citizens have been kidnapped for a variety of reasons, including ransom, political purposes, or as part of human trafficking operations.
Pol Col Noppasin said is vital to emphasize that abductions and kidnappings are severe crimes for which those involved must be held accountable. He said when visiting places with a high risk of such accidents, travellers should exercise caution and take the essential safety precautions.
In recent years, there have been multiple reports of Chinese nationals being kidnapped in Thailand. These incidents have alarmed Thailand’s Chinese population and damaged diplomatic relations between China and Thailand.
Million dollar ransom
In one high-profile episode, a group of unidentified individuals kidnapped and held a Chinese businessman for ransom in Bangkok in January 2019. The man was subsequently freed after his family paid a ransom of more than ten million yuan (about $1.5 million USD).
In another incident, a group of Chinese tourists were kidnapped in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai in December 2018. After purportedly paying a ransom to the kidnappers, the group was eventually freed unhurt.
Such events have caused the Chinese government to issue travel warnings to its citizens visiting Thailand, as well as to step up collaboration with Thai authorities in countering such crimes.
Chinese nationals have been abducted and kidnapped in a number of nations throughout the world, including Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Philippines.
The Chinese government has been known to take a firm position in the face of such instances, working to gain the release of abducted Chinese citizens through diplomatic, negotiating, and even military activities.
A group of Chinese construction workers were kidnapped in Sudan in 2014 by rebels who sought a ransom in exchange for their release. Similarly, in 2016, a group of Chinese nationals were kidnapped in Pakistan by militants demanding the release of their comrades who were detained in Pakistan.
The Chinese government has been known to take a firm position in the face of such instances, working to gain the release of abducted Chinese citizens through diplomatic, negotiating, and even military activities.
In certain situations, the Chinese government has dispatched special troops to rescue kidnapped nationals, such as when 29 Chinese labourers were kidnapped by Somali pirates in 2011.
