johnefallis

Four arrested in deadly abduction plot
The Nation

Police have arrested four suspects - two of them architects - for allegedly kidnapping a university freshman, who was a computer game companion for more than three years, and drowning him when the victim's family did not pay the ransom money.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, police said the four suspects had confessed to the crime, which was allegedly committed at the initiative of architect Aphiraphat Sukha-arkhom, 27, who said he demanded Bt2 million to free Piyaphan Thitiaksornsillapa, 19, in the belief he was from a rich family.

During a re-enactment of the crimes, architect Phanuphong Siraphanphanich, one of the suspects, told police the victim had known him and Aphiraphat and they played computer games together for more than three years. The group lured Piyaphan, a Kasetsart University freshman, into coming to play the games at the Imperial Lat Phrao mall on December 16, before holding him captive.

Quoting the suspects, including Paphawin Maiprathum and Natthaphol In-ngern, police said the four blindfolded the victim and drove him to two houses in Bangkok, and made him call his mother, asking her to wire Bt2 million into a bank account, but she did not comply thinking it was a prank.

The victim was handcuffed, blindfolded and his head was covered with a plastic bag during the three days he was held hostage. He later fainted but the suspects thought he had died. The suspects told police that they later brought the body to Prawet district, and threw it into a canal after tying sandbags to the ankles of the deceased. An autopsy performed on the victim's body reported that he was alive before being drowned.


-- The Nation 2012-01-04