PHUKET – On February 2, Phuket police announced the progress of the case involving a gang of Russians who kidnapped a Belarusian couple and extorted money from them.
After questioning the 23-year-old Belarusian man and his wife, who had been abducted in Phuket, police investigators confirmed that the two were forced to transfer USD 801,200 in cryptocurrency to the Russians.
Phuket police investigators searched the house where the suspects are believed to have taken the Belarusian couple on Thursday. The house, which is less than 2 kilometers from the crime scene, is rented out daily.
About 50 meters from the house, police found a white Toyota Fortuner with Phuket red license plates. The car belonging to the suspects was parked near a public park. Inside the car, police found two knife boxes, a knife, three rolls of clear tape, a roll of straw rope and energy drinks in a red bucket. Police forensic technicians took fingerprints around the car.
After gathering evidence, the Phuket City Police Investigation Unit presented its findings to the investigator. They gathered evidence and filed an arrest warrant for the five Russian suspects: Mr. Zalim Nalchikov, 37; Mr. Oleg Bogdanov, 30, Mr. Azamat Nagofv, 36; Mr. Istam Abdokov, 29, and Mr. Aslan Abazov, 36.
All are charged, according to the indictment, with aggravated robbery and intimidation, extortion, coercing others to commit acts by use of force to such an extent that the coerced person must commit the act, joint commission of offences with five or more persons, conspiracy to kidnap or detain others, or acts that deprive others of their physical liberty and cause others to perform an act for the offender.
The Belarusian visitor and his wife were offered protection by the Tourist Police, Immigration Police and Phuket Metropolitan Police. The couple expressed satisfaction with the police’s handling of the case.
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