FRENCH WOMAN ARRESTED OVER ALLEGED PLOT TO KIDNAP THAI

FRENCH WOMAN ARRESTED OVER ALLEGED PLOT TO KIDNAP THAI

Police in Bangkok have arrested a French woman they suspect was involved in a plot to kidnap the daughter of a Thai businesswoman.

Pansa Amrapitak, chief of Thonglor Police Station, says the authorities believe 45 year old Sandra Christina Marie Diersten was the ringleader in a group of foreigners who planned to abduct the 7 year old daughter of a wealthy Thai CEO.

Pansa adds that on April 19, Ms Diersten was released on bail of 75,000 baht as she is not considered a flight risk.

Her arrest came about after IIssaree Suwunnavid, the CEO of blockchain technology business Knightsbridge Bloodstock and KXCO, filed a police report that stated a group of foreigners were planning to kidnap her daughter for a ransom of over 200 million baht.

Ms Diersten has denied the charges. Her version of events is that she and Ms IIssaree’s husband were partners in a failed business and she just wanted her investment back.

According to a Khaosod English report, the police are seeking two more foreign suspects in relation to the alleged kidnapping plot. They have been named as 28 year old Jake Adams, a US national, and 25 year old Nicholas Tan Hong Xin, of Malaysian nationality.

It’s understood the American suspect previously worked on a project with Ms IIssaree, while the Malaysian man was an employee of hers. He is accused of providing the group with personal information in relation to the businesswoman and her family, including where her daughter goes to school.

The police say that during their investigation, they discovered a Telegram group named Private Group, in which the trio allegedly discussed kidnapping the 7 year old for ransom, in a bid to recover 200 million baht in lost business investments.

Police expect their investigation to be concluded within a month.