Phuket police officers today arrested four foreign suspects who allegedly extorted 250,000 USDT (8.5 million baht) from a Ukrainian victim at a hotel in Phang Nga province.
The 23 year old Ukrainian man, Viacheslav Leibove, filed a theft complaint with Kamala Police Station in Phuket on Saturday, November 9, claiming he lost cryptocurrency to four foreign thieves. The suspects are identified as follows:
- 21 year old Armenian man, Arman Grigoryan
- 18 year old Ukrainian man, Alfred Chernyshuk
- 22 year old Ukrainian man, Ruslan Musaiev
- 21 year old Russian man, Aman Grigorian
Leibove reported that the gang tricked him into meeting at a hotel in the Kamala area, where they attacked him, tied him up, and forced him to transfer the cryptocurrency to their accounts. The gang then fled the scene, leaving Leibove unable to track them in time.
Following an investigation, police located the suspects hiding at a hotel in the Kok Loi sub-district, Takua Thung district, Phang Nga province. They were arrested in two separate rooms and taken to Kamala Police Station in Phuket for questioning.
Police stated that all of the suspects denied the allegations. They reportedly hired a driver in Phuket to take them to Malaysia to evade arrest but the driver refused and instead dropped them off in Phang Nga. They booked four VIP rooms at the hotel but stayed only in two.
One of the suspects, believed to be Alfred Chernyshuk, allegedly knew the victim well due to regular cryptocurrency trading and was aware of the victim’s significant holdings. The suspects successfully planned and executed the robbery together, but they failed to escape arrest.
The suspects face charges under the following sections:
- Section 340 of the Criminal Law: committing theft with the use of a weapon, carries a penalty of life imprisonment or imprisonment from 15 to 20 years.
- Section 310 of the Criminal Law: detaining or confining other people or depriving a person of liberty. The penalty is imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 6,000 baht, or both.
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ORIGINAL STORY: 4 foreigners rob Ukrainian man of 250,000 USDT in Phuket hotel
Four foreign suspects robbed a Ukrainian man of 250,000 USDT, approximately 8.5 million baht, at a hotel in the Kamala neighbourhood of Phuket on Friday evening.
The 23 year old victim, Viacheslav Leibove, filed a complaint with Kamala Police Station on Saturday, November 9, reporting that he was robbed by four foreigners the previous night, November 8. The incident occurred in a hotel room in the Kamala area.
Leibove was able to identify two of the suspects as a Ukrainian man named Alfred Chernyshuk and an Armenian man named Arman Grigoryan, though the name of the hotel remains undisclosed. The four suspects are currently at large.
Leibove explained that Chernyshuk, whom he trusted as a friend, asked him to meet at the hotel. Upon arrival, Grigoryan came down from his room to escort them to the lobby. They were conversing on the balcony when Leibove excused himself to use the bathroom in the room.
Unexpectedly, Leibove encountered two men with their heads covered by black balaclavas. They immediately attacked him, binding his legs and arms with rope and cable ties.
Grigoryan approached Leibove and demanded that he transfer 500,000 USDT (cryptocurrency) to his account. The gang threatened to strike him with a hammer and further assault him with a knife if he refused.
Leibove negotiated with the suspects, who eventually reduced the demand to 250,000 USDT (8.5 million baht). Leibove quickly transferred the amount to the gang, who then tied him to the bed before packing up and fleeing the scene.
Leibove managed to free himself and rushed to the hotel reception, where he recounted the incident to the staff and requested to check the booking documents. He discovered that the room was registered under the names Chernyshuk and Grigoryan.
Determined to bring the suspects to justice, Leibove rode his motorcycle to Phuket International Airport to search for them but was unsuccessful. He then sought assistance from the police.
The police are now working with the hotel to obtain CCTV footage and other relevant evidence to track down the suspects. Officers later identified another member of the gang as a Ukrainian man named Musaiev, while the identity of the fourth suspect remains unknown.
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