Victims were allegedly lured to Pattaya with a cheap holiday package, held captive and tortured before being rescued by police.

Five Indian nationals have been arrested in Thailand for allegedly kidnapping and torturing three fellow Indians before demanding ₹40 lakh from each victim’s family, with police claiming the operation was orchestrated by a Pakistani national based in Dubai.

The suspects, including Avtar Singh (38), Jagjit Singh (38), Rambalak Kumar (24), Sukhbir Singh (37) and Kulra Singh (27), were arrested at a hotel in Bangkok’s Khlong Tan area on Tuesday while they were waiting to board an outbound flight, the Bangkok Post reported, citing police.

Mastermind a Pakistani

According to investigators, the accused told police they were acting on the instructions of a Pakistani national whom they had met through a chat application about a month ago. The alleged mastermind, believed to be based in Dubai, had planned to receive ransom payments in cryptocurrency, while the accused were promised valuables, cash and airline tickets to leave Thailand after carrying out the operation.

Police said the three victims were lured to Pattaya with the promise of a low-cost seven-day holiday package. Instead, they were allegedly taken to a house, where they were held captive, tied up and tortured.

How the probe began

The investigation began after the Indian Embassy in Thailand alerted Chonburi Immigration Police and Pattaya City Police on July 21 following complaints from the victims’ families, according to The Nation. Relatives reportedly shared video call recordings showing the victims with their hands and feet bound while the abductors demanded Rs 40 lakh from each family.

Acting on intelligence and CCTV camera footage, police raided a two-storey townhouse in Pattaya on Monday and rescued the three men. Officers said the victims were found confined separately on the second floor with their hands and feet tied and their mouths taped. They also bore signs of physical assault.

Investigators recovered adhesive tape, a wooden object allegedly used in the assaults and red spray paint, which police believe was used to stage photographs and videos of the victims that were sent to their families to pressure them into paying the ransom.

Police are also investigating the victims’ claim that another Indian national had earlier been held at the same property and was released after his family allegedly paid around Rs 30 lakh in ransom.

According to the Bangkok Post, Pattaya police chief Pol Col Anek Sathongyu rewarded officers involved in the operation after the suspects were arrested shortly before they were due to leave Thailand.

(With inputs from PTI)