Chinese daughter, boyfriend staged ransom scam in Samut Prakan

A supposed cross-border kidnapping involving a 19-year-old Chinese woman turned out to be a staged ransom plot orchestrated to deceive her father into transferring money, Thai police said after arresting four Chinese nationals in Samut Prakan.

The case has attracted wide attention in China, where reports of the alleged abduction had already become major news before Thai investigators uncovered what they believe was a carefully arranged scam.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), working through the Crime Suppression Division, said the four suspects were arrested at a rented house in Bang Kaeo subdistrict, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province.

The suspects were identified only as Mr You, 29, Miss Tong, 19, Mr Hu, 26, and Mr Hou, 26. All four were charged with illegal entry into Thailand. Police said Mr You was also wanted under an arrest warrant issued by police in Nanjing, China, in connection with an online scam case.

The investigation began after Thai authorities were contacted by Chinese officials following a complaint filed by Miss Tong’s father in China. He told police he had received ransom messages along with a video clip showing his daughter being abused.

The scammers claimed that Miss Tong had been abducted and taken to a neighbouring country. Fearing for her safety, the father agreed to transfer more than 110,000 yuan, or about 550,000 baht, as ransom. Despite making the payment, he did not get his daughter back.

Police later examined Miss Tong’s social media activity and found evidence suggesting the latest ransom video had not been filmed overseas, as claimed, but in Huai Khwang district of Bangkok.

Officers then traced the group’s movements and found that the Chinese nationals had indeed stayed at a hotel in the Huai Khwang area before hiring a vehicle to relocate to a housing estate in Samut Prakan.

Investigators subsequently obtained a court-approved search warrant for the house. During the search, officers found six Chinese nationals staying there. Four of them, including Miss Tong and Mr You, were unable to produce identification documents or passports.

Police said Mr You was the same person wanted in China’s online scam case and was also seen in the abuse video. Based on the evidence gathered, investigators believe the group worked together to stage the kidnapping in order to extort money from the family.

The four suspects were later handed over to investigators at Bang Kaeo Police Station for legal proceedings.

In initial questioning, the suspects admitted they had entered Thailand illegally, police said.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of senior officers from the Central Investigation Bureau, Immigration Bureau and Crime Suppression Division, with investigation teams from Division 1 and Division 2 of the Crime Suppression Division leading the arrest operation.