American's abduction - Senior Thai Cop Behind Abduction
Senior cop behind an American's abduction
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Police are looking for three more suspects, including a senior Thai cop, in connection with the kidnapping of an American bisunessman who was held for Bt28 million ransom.
Seven suspects including three Thai-American men and three police were already arrested due to the scandal.
An American businessman Mark Stephen Hutchenson, 46, was rescued by police on Thursday after being kidnapping since April 7. Sukhansa, his wife, said four to five men in police uniforms andplain cloths including a Thai-American Nicolas Pruksukkan, who claimed to be FBI, searched their condominium unit and got US$400,000 (Bt14 million) of cash. They kidnapped Hutchenson and asked for another US$800,000 (Bt28 million) of ransom money. She then reported to the police who eventually rescued Hutchenson.
The Nation
Seven arrested, 3 more sought over kidnapping
Seven arrested, 3 more sought over kidnapping
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Police are looking for three men, including a senior police officer, in connection with the kidnapping and detention of an American businessman in Bangkok for a Bt28-million ransom.
Seven suspects, including three Thai-American men and three police, have already been arrested.
Mark Hutchenson, 46, was rescued by a police SWAT team on Thursday after being held captive since Saturday.
Sukhansa, his wife, said four or five men in police uniform and plainclothes - including a Thai-American half-blood, Nicolas Pruksukkan, who claimed to be an FBI agent - had searched their condominium and made off with US$400,000 (Bt14 million) in cash.
They took Hutchenson hostage and demanded $800,000 for his release. She then reported the abduction to police.
A squad of 30 Metropolitan Police including commandos stormed a town house in Lat Phrao district and found Hutchenson chained and handcuffed with his face covered by a woollen cap.
Police Senior Sergeant-Major Suchart Muengkhunlong and Nicolas were arrested at the site. Suchart denied involvement in the extortion attempt, claiming that he was hired for Bt20,000 to guard the town house.
Yesterday more five suspects including two police were arrested. They were Metropolitan Police Sergeant Sathit Prasanphangsri and Crime Suppression Police Sergeant Prasertpan Punarittidej. The three civilians were Thai-American men - John and James McCleary, and Mongkol Sukkasem. Police also seized some Bt700,000 from the suspects.
All were charged with armed extortion, illegal detention, demanding ransom and malfeasance.
Metropolitan Police chief Lt-General Adisorn Nonsi said that according to information from the US Embassy, the McClearys are members of a ransom ring that fled arrest in the US and joined the gang of Lt-Colonel Thanapol Boonnak, an Immigration Police inspector temporarily assigned to the Internal Security Operations Command.
Police hold arrest warrants for the three suspects at large - Thanapol, Sergeant Adul Kamorn of Chokchai police station and a Thai-Dutch civilian, Samual, or Sam, Pasomthong.
Police believe Thanapol is the head of the kidnapping team and has run away with the rest of the money from Hutchenson's condo.
Adisorn said he had dismissed the three arrested officers, as they were under his bureau. They were denied bail as they had allegedly committed capital crimes. Their supervisors will be also investigated for negligence, he said.
The Nation
Policemen linked to international kidnap gang
Policemen linked to international kidnap gang
By Manop Thip-Osod
The Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau has dismissed three of its officers for allegedly collaborating with American suspects in the kidnap for ransom of a 47-year-old American oil trader.
Adisorn Nonsi, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said the inquiry team found several suspects were involved in the abduction of Mark Hutchison on April 7.
Three of the suspects are metropolitan police officers. The bureau has taken disciplinary action against them by dismissing them from the police service as they have been charged with serious criminal offences, said Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn.
He said the three officers were alleged to have used firearms in the kidnapping of Mr Hutchison.
If found guilty, they could be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
The three officers are Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Adul Onsri, Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Surachat Muangkhunrong and Pol Sgt Sathit Praphanphaengsri.
In addition to the disciplinary action against the three, Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn also ordered the setting up of inquiry committees to investigate their immediate supervisors to find out whether they had neglected their responsibility to keep their subordinates in line.
Two other police officers suspected of involvement in the abduction are Pol Lt-Col Thanapol Bunnak, an inspector at the Immigration Police Bureau, and Pol L/C Prasertphan Phunarit.
Three other suspects are American siblings John and Jame McKelly, and Nicolas Phruksukan, a 26-year-old Thai-American.
According to Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn, the investigation team has already arrested four of the suspects - Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Surachat, Pol Sgt Sathit, Pol L/C Prasertphan and Mr Nicolas. The rest are still at large. The arrested suspects have not been allowed bail.
Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn said the United States embassy has informed him that the two American siblings are part of a kidnap gang in the US and are also wanted by US authorities.
On April 7, Mr Hutchison's relatives alerted police that he had been kidnapped from his residence in the Lumpini area. The kidnappers also snatched US$400,000 in cash from his residence. They later demanded another US$800,000 in ransom.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau's Arintharat commandos on Thursday rescued Mr Hutchison from the gang's hideout at a house on Soi Lat Phrao 41.
The commando unit also arrested four suspects found at the house.
Bangkok Post
Five denied bail over kidnapping
Five denied bail over kidnapping
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The Phra Khanong Provincial Court yesterday allowed a police application for the further detention of five men suspected of kidnapping an American oil trader.
The court denied bail applications from the five. They were arrested this week after allegedly kidnapping Mark Hutchenson, 46, at gunpoint from his Bangkok condominium on April 7. They demanded US$800,000 (Bt28 million) for his release and took $400,000 from his residence.
The five men are metropolitan police officer Senior Sgt-Major Suchart Muengkhunlong, Thai-American Nicolas Pruksukkan, Mongkol Sukkasem and Thai-American brothers John and James McCleary. They are in custody at Lumpini Police Station.
Two others, metropolitan police Sergeant Sathit Prasanphangsri and Crime Suppression Division Sergeant Prasertpan Punarittidej, were arrested earlier.
A SWAT team rescued Hutchenson on Thursday.
Police suspect three more men are involved and in possession of the stolen cash. They have been identified as Immigration Police Lt-Colonel Thanapol Boonnak, Chok Chai police Sergeant Adul Kamorn and Thai-Dutch civilian Samual, or Sam, Prasomthong.
The Nation
