Seven French nationals are being held over their alleged involvement in a Phuket video death threat ransom case. Though they were arrested a week ago, they have yet to give their statement, according to an update today.
They were arrested for extorting EUR5,000 (about THB194,000) from the parents of an unnamed 21-year-old French tourist’s parents back in France by sending a video threatening the woman’s safety.
They allegedly kidnapped the woman from the Patong entertainment district on March 4 and held her for ransom, which the victim’s family promptly paid from France after receiving a video threatening their daughter’s life. Police said that they threatened to injure the woman until she died and blood was found at the scene.
The group was arrested on March 6 at a rental house in Kamala. They claimed during initial questioning by police that the Frenchwoman had stolen EUR5,000 from them.
The seven were named as: Idriss Sulliman, 25; Yann Kimulina, 25; Brahim Saifdine, 21; Mouhcin Wizkrane, 23; Yacine Maatoug, 32; Lydia Kouang Nlend, 21; and Sahra Zerari, 19.
All seven are in custody while police conduct criminal background checks on them and initial reports from the French police revealed that at least some of them have criminal records involving drugs in their home country.
Checks of their Immigration records show that they often enter and leave Thailand as tourists. Police are still translating the ransom video clip and message from French to Thai to include in the file to be handed to the Public Prosecutor.
All seven are in the detention cells at Phuket Provincial Court. If found guilty, they could face 15 to 20 year jail terms and/or a fine of up to THB40,000 for kidnapping a person over 15.
Story: The Phuket News
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