The seven were arrested last Tuesday (Mar 6) at a rental house in Kamala, though the kidnap victim was taken from Patong in the early hours of Sunday morning (Mar 4) and held hostage at a house in Chalong until her parents paid the 5,000-euro ransom (about B194,000) later that same day. (See story here.)
Key to the French gang’s statements is that during initial questioning by police they accused the Frenchwoman they abducted of stealing 5,000 euros from them.
“I do not know what their statements are until I talk to them. I will do that this week,” Lt Col Kanan Somrak of the Chalong Police told The Phuket News yesterday (Mar 12).
“I have to talk with the victim [name withheld] to get as much information from her as I can before she leaves Thailand,” Col Kanan said.
“I cannot reveal details from her statement at this time because some of the information is still blurred. There is a lot that is not clear and I just do not understand.
“Regarding the progress in this case, I have tried to work on it as much as I can. I have lots of things to do for other cases,” he added.
Meanwhile, all seven French nationals remain in custody at the detention cells at Phuket Provincial Court, he confirmed.