Phuket Police Arrest Armed Extortionists in Hotel Van Incident
PHUKET, Thailand – Four men were arrested for allegedly attempting to extort money at gunpoint from two Vietnamese nationals inside a van parked outside a hotel in Muang district.
The suspects—three Thai men and one foreigner—were taken into custody, while the alleged victims, Van Trung Phan, 40, and Quang Minh Nguyen, 21, were rescued unharmed. Police have not yet disclosed the identities of the accused.
The arrests were made by a police team led by Phuket police chief Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum in front of the Khao Rang Place hotel in Tambon Lad Yai. Authorities responded to reports that four armed men had forced two Vietnamese men into a Volkswagen van around 11:26 p.m. on Saturday.
Upon raiding the vehicle, officers found three firearms in the possession of the suspects. The four men were then taken to Muang Police Station for legal proceedings on charges of extortion with threats of violence.
