Thai police arrest Korean kidnapper for preying on compatriots

BANGKOK, January 14 (TNA) - Thai police have arrested a suspected Korean kidnapper who made compatriots his victims and sought a warrant for the arrest of another suspect, while the arrested one has denied charges. Assistant National Police Chief Police Lieutenant General Prawuth Thawornsiri told reporters on Wednesday that Thai police have arrested the suspected Korean kidnapper, identified as 44-year-old Kim Seung-cheul, allegedly for extortion, detention and theft. Police Lieutenant General Prawuth said the arrested Korean man, together with another Korean suspect, identified as Zhou Chung-chul, and about 10 other men claiming to be police are also suspected of abducting three Koreans for a ransom. According to the assistant national police chief, the group, led by Zhou, allegedly first broke into a room of the victims on Pridi Phanomyong 14 Road in Bangkok, claiming that victims had did wrong and brought them to a place looking like a police office. Kim then told the victims to give 2 million baht in exchange for their freedom and escape from prosecution and the victims were then kept in a room. The victims later transferred 210,000 baht to the kidnappers, who also took 500,000 baht from their room. The arrested Korean man denied the charges, saying he knew Zhou and was only asked to assist in a process to bail out Koreans at a police station, while he knew nothing about any abduction for a ransom. The Thai police, meanwhile, sought an arrest warrant for Zhou, saying, however, that they did not find any evidence the suspect had left the country. (TNA)