Police hunt Chinese suspects who 'stole crypto and luxury watches from Turkish businessman before fleeing Thailand'
Police are hunting five Chinese suspects over the alleged armed robbery of a Turkish businessman's luxury home in Thailand.
The gang allegedly broke into the property in the upmarket Cascade by Patta housing estate in the seaside town of Pattaya in the early hours of October 6.
Wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities, the suspects reportedly threatened Turkish owner Kutay Aslan, 34, and his Burmese housekeeper with guns and knives.
They reportedly forced him to transfer 824,000 USDT in digital currency before stealing 210,000 baht in cash, five Rolex watches and 37 million baht of mobile phones during the home invasion.
The suspects then fled the scene in a Toyota Fortuner.
Police launched a manhunt following the robbery and traced the vehicle to the Soi Jomtien 9 area, where it was later found abandoned.
Inside, officers seized 14 pieces of evidence, including balaclavas, gloves, clothing, shoes and a ladder believed to have been used to enter Kutay's property. The items have been sent for forensic examination.
Police also examined witness statements, vehicle GPS data, rental records, hotel registrations and immigration records to identify those allegedly involved.
They named the five Chinese suspects as Dong Ping, 38, who allegedly helped arrange a vehicle and house for the perpetrators, Lixinle, 31, Wang Hongbo, 32, Mu Hongda, 33, and Zhiyu Wang, 31.
The Pattaya Provincial Court has issued arrest warrants for all five on October 9. They face charges including jointly committing armed robbery at a residence at night, using a vehicle to facilitate the crime, assault, unlawful detention and firearms-related offences.
But investigators found that all five suspects had already left Thailand.
Provincial Police Region 2 said authorities were coordinating with Chinese officials and seeking Interpol Red Notices to locate the suspects and bring them back to face prosecution under Thai law.
Officials are also tracing the stolen cryptocurrency to determine whether additional people were involved.
Police Lieutenant General Wasan Techa-akarakasem, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2, said: ‘The investigation gathered sufficient evidence for the court to issue arrest warrants for all five suspects within just three days of the incident.
‘We will continue coordinating with relevant domestic and international agencies to track down and arrest all suspects for prosecution, while accelerating efforts to recover the stolen assets.'
In February, British chef Wesleigh Cyril Russell, 32, was robbed at gunpoint at his luxury villa in Pattaya, where four fellow Brits allegedly stole a safe with more than two million baht before smashing through the estate gates to escape. All four were arrested across Thailand, with the final suspect detained in Chonburi on March 3.
Tourists are regularly attacked or caught up in crime, leading Pattaya to be dubbed 'Sin City'.
Embarrassed officials in the central government have launched tourism initiatives to attract families and rebrand Pattaya as a safe destination.
Authorities have also introduced safety measures, such as improved lighting and CCTV.
Despite some success in cleaning up the town's image, alcohol and sex remain its biggest draws, often leading to a high rate of crime and accidents.
