CHONBURI — Progress has been made in the investigation into the robbery of a group of Chinese criminals who entered the home of Mr. Qian Peng Yi, a 34-year-old Chinese businessman, tied him up at gunpoint and forced him to transfer 10 million baht. They also pretended to kidnap Ms. Tu Peizhi, 33, Mr. Qian’s cousin.
Chonburi police found that all those involved have fled Thailand, including Ms. Tu, who is suspected of having hired the group to commit the crime in Thailand.
The incident occurred on the night of 17 July 2024 until the early hours of 18 July at Mr. Qian’s house in a luxury village in Soi Laplae, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. Mr. Qian managed to untie himself and escape, then reported the incident to Nong Prue Police Station. The police investigation revealed that Ms. Tu, Mr. Qian’s cousin, may not have been abducted when she boarded a flight back to China and landed at Hangzhou Airport.
On 19 July, the investigation team revealed that the three robbers had also left Thailand. A witness, Mr. Un, a 30-year-old van driver, provided information that he had been hired through an agency on 18 July to pick up four passengers from a hotel in Pattaya and take them to Suvarnabhumi Airport for a flight to Chiang Mai. The arrangement was made for 10 p.m. at a fare of 1,500 baht.
Mr. Un stated that he arrived at the hotel at 8 p.m. and waited until 10 p.m. without any passengers showing up. He called the agency who told him that the Chinese clients had asked for a 30-minute delay. After waiting, he called the agency again at 10.40 p.m. and received the same answer.
Finally, at 11.15 p.m., four Chinese people got into his car. He could not tell if they were women, as they were all dressed like men and were each carrying only a backpack. One suspicious person, who was wearing glasses, a white shirt and brown pants, seemed unusually paranoid and kept looking around while clutching a backpack.
During the ride, the group spoke in Chinese with serious expressions, seemed worried and urged him to go to the airport quickly. Although he had to stop for a toilet break, he drove on until they reached the airport at around 1 a.m. The group paid him 1,800 baht before leaving the vehicle. Mr. Un managed to take a photo of the group standing at the entrance of the airport smoking.
The police identified Ms. Tu, who resembles a tomboy, among the group in the photo. CCTV footage showed the group splitting up to different check-in counters inside the airport. Immigration records revealed that the three male suspects, Mr. Ren Fengyong, 46, Mr. Lin Xingliang, 26, and Mr. Yang Lijian, 41, arrived in Thailand together on 16 July on flight VZ963 from Da Nang, Vietnam, and departed together for Hong Kong on flight HX780 at 2 a.m.
The police suspect that Ms. Tu, who left Suvarnabhumi at 4 a.m. for Hangzhou, Mainland China, hired the three individuals to commit the crime as Mr. Qian’s stolen phone contained transaction apps and codes, with some money already transferred out.
Although all suspects have fled the country, the police are gathering evidence to seek arrest warrants for all four individuals from the Pattaya Provincial Court.
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