Thai Authorities have identified four men who posed as police officers to abduct and rob a Chinese national in the early hours of July 10. Arrest warrants are being processed, with police vowing swift action.
The suspects, who were captured on CCTV wearing black clothing, forcibly took 52-year-old Lin Yifan from outside a noodle shop on North Pattaya Road. Officers have since confirmed the group were not law enforcement personnel, but imposters.
The incident, which has sparked public concern, involved the theft of more than 230,000 baht in cash and valuables.
Pol Lt Gen Yingyos Thepjumnong, Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2, announced on Saturday that a full investigation by Pattaya City Police had led to the identification of all four suspects. Authorities are now in the process of securing arrest warrants.
“None of the men were police officers. They falsely claimed to be and used this pretence to commit the crime,” he said. “We have strong evidence and expect good news soon.”
According to investigators, the abduction took place at approximately 5.27am. CCTV footage shows Lin being dragged into a white SUV by four men, one of whom can be heard shouting, “I am police, you are call centre gang!”
The outburst led bystanders to mistakenly believe the incident was a legitimate arrest.
Lin, a Chinese national who has been living in Thailand for a year, was dining with two compatriots when approached. The suspects accused him of involvement in a call centre scam and forced him into the vehicle.
Once inside, Lin was restrained with his hands tied behind his back and was threatened with what he believed may have been a weapon. He was unable to confirm whether it was a firearm.
The gang, speaking in both Thai and English, robbed him of an iPhone 13 Pro, an iPhone 16 Pro, 15,000 baht in cash, and his glasses.
They later abandoned him at a shooting range roughly 9 kilometres away near a railway road. In a strange twist, the suspects returned Lin’s hotel key card before fleeing the scene.
Lin managed to seek help from a security guard at the range and contacted friends for assistance.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the perpetrators had also accessed Lin’s Chinese banking application, transferring 150,000 baht, bringing the total loss to over 230,000 baht.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and are urging the public to remain vigilant. Arrests are expected to be made soon.
