A Tourist Was Kidnapped in Plain Sight at Bangkok Airport
She was abducted in the middle of the secure area of the 20th busiest airport in the world.
Shortly after 39-year-old Jincai Chen deplaned from her flight from Hong Kong (HKG) to Bangkok (BKK) on the evening of May 6, a group of four Chinese men and one Thai woman all dressed in black grabbed her arms and walked her through the security checkpoint.
On the other side of airport security near the baggage carousel, two additional men in black joined in the kidnapping operation. The group forced Chen out of the airport and held her for a 15 million baht ransom ($460,000) for 11 days, shuffling her from hotel room to hotel room across Thailand.
The kidnapping took place in full view of the airport's CCTV cameras.
Police say the gang of seven who abducted Chen in BKK's secure terminal had help from at least 10 additional people — including a senior sergeant major on the airport's immigration police force.
The kidnapping crew sent ransom letters to Chen's husband, who ended up paying the abductors 10 million baht ($311,000) for the safe return of his wife. When the group wanted an additional 5 million baht ($150,000), Chen's husband refused to pay and contacted the authorities. Thai police were able to use the airport's CCTV footage to track the suspects to hotels in Bangkok, Pattaya and Rayong.
Police said that once the authorities became involved, it "put pressure on the gang, who then released the victim," Major Gen. Surachate Hakparn, who is leading the investigation, said. "She has testified about the crime and we will also receive her husband's statements. We will pursue the gang and attempt to reclaim the money they paid."
The gang dumped Chen on the side of a road in Bangkok on May 19 around 11:00pm.
Authorities have filed arrest warrants for the members of the kidnapping gang, but say several of the suspects have already fled Thailand.
H/T: The New York Post
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app