5 Indians held in Thailand for kidnapping Indian tourists; cops allege Pakistani link
3 min readUpdated: Jul 29, 2026 06:12 PM IST
Five Indian nationals have been arrested in Thailand for allegedly kidnapping and torturing three fellow Indians before demanding ₹40 lakh from each victim’s family, with police claiming the operation was orchestrated by a Pakistani national based in Dubai.
The suspects, including Avtar Singh (38), Jagjit Singh (38), Rambalak Kumar (24), Sukhbir Singh (37) and Kulra Singh (27), were arrested at a hotel in Bangkok’s Khlong Tan area on Tuesday while they were waiting to board an outbound flight, the Bangkok Post reported, citing police.
Mastermind a Pakistani
According to investigators, the accused told police they were acting on the instructions of a Pakistani national whom they had met through a chat application about a month ago. The alleged mastermind, believed to be based in Dubai, had planned to receive ransom payments in cryptocurrency, while the accused were promised valuables, cash and airline tickets to leave Thailand after carrying out the operation.
Police said the three victims were lured to Pattaya with the promise of a low-cost seven-day holiday package. Instead, they were allegedly taken to a house, where they were held captive, tied up and tortured.
Horrifying. Three Indian tourists were kidnapped, tied up, tortured for days, and held for a ₹1 crore ransom after arriving in Pattaya, Thailand.
Thai police, with help from the Indian community, rescued them alive.
Police say the suspects include four Pakistani nationals, who… pic.twitter.com/wEwNwfKUvj
— India First Post (@ifpost47) July 29, 2026
How the probe began
The investigation began after the Indian Embassy in Thailand alerted Chonburi Immigration Police and Pattaya City Police on July 21 following complaints from the victims’ families, according to The Nation. Relatives reportedly shared video call recordings showing the victims with their hands and feet bound while the abductors demanded Rs 40 lakh from each family.
Acting on intelligence and CCTV camera footage, police raided a two-storey townhouse in Pattaya on Monday and rescued the three men. Officers said the victims were found confined separately on the second floor with their hands and feet tied and their mouths taped. They also bore signs of physical assault.
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The alleged plot, step by step
1
Three Indians buy a seven-day tour package (~70,000 baht each) and fly into Bangkok on July 21.
2
From a meeting point in Pattaya, a man on a motorcycle takes them one by one to a house.
3
Inside, they are allegedly tied up, their mouths taped, and assaulted, police say.
4
Videos of the victims are sent to their families to pressure them.
5
A ransom of ₹40 lakh (~$41,800) per family is demanded, to be paid in cryptocurrency.
6
Acting on an embassy tip and CCTV, police raid the Pattaya house and free all three.
7
Five Indian suspects are arrested in Bangkok as they wait for an outbound flight.
Sequence per Thai police, via the Bangkok Post and The Nation. All suspects are yet to be tried.
The case in brief
Victims3 Indian tourists (rescued)
Suspects arrested5 Indian nationals
Ransom demanded₹40 lakh per family
Held inA house in Pattaya (Chon Buri)
Suspects held inBangkok (Khlong Tan)
Planned paymentCryptocurrency
Details as reported by police; the ₹40 lakh figure equals roughly US$41,800. A developing case.
Victims, suspects & the alleged mastermind
The victims
Three Indian tourists, aged around 20–24, all now rescued and safe. Reports say another Indian may have been held at the same house earlier.
The suspects
Five Indian nationals arrested in Bangkok before they could fly out. Police say they have confessed; they are yet to be charged and tried.
The alleged mastermind
According to what the suspects told police, the operation was directed by a Pakistani national said to be based in Dubai, contacted via a chat app, who allegedly planned to collect the ransom in cryptocurrency. This is an unverified police account, not a proven fact; the person has not been arrested.
From embassy alert to rescue
1
Relatives, sent video calls of the bound victims, raise the alarm.
2
The Indian Embassy alerts Chon Buri Immigration and Pattaya City Police on July 21.
3
Investigators analyse CCTV footage and trace a Dubai-registered phone number.
4
A two-storey house in Nongprue, Bang Lamung, is identified as the hideout.
5
Police raid the house on Monday and free the three men from locked rooms.
6
The next day, five suspects are caught at a Bangkok hotel before their flight.
Per the Bangkok Post and The Nation, citing Pattaya City Police and Chon Buri Immigration.
What investigators say they recovered
□
Adhesive tape
Allegedly used to bind and gag the victims
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A wooden object
Allegedly used in the assaults
●
Red spray paint
Believed used to stage the ransom photos and videos
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Videos sent to families
Used to pressure relatives into paying
₿
A cryptocurrency payment plan
Alleged route for the ransom to the mastermind
A note on this case: the suspects have not been tried, and the “mastermind” account comes from what the arrested men told police. Everything here is a police allegation at this stage.
Sources: Bangkok Post · The Nation · The Pattaya News · Indian Embassy in Thailand (via OrissaPOST). Pre-trial; all allegations are unproven.
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Investigators recovered adhesive tape, a wooden object allegedly used in the assaults and red spray paint, which police believe was used to stage photographs and videos of the victims that were sent to their families to pressure them into paying the ransom.
Police are also investigating the victims’ claim that another Indian national had earlier been held at the same property and was released after his family allegedly paid around Rs 30 lakh in ransom.
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According to the Bangkok Post, Pattaya police chief Pol Col Anek Sathongyu rewarded officers involved in the operation after the suspects were arrested shortly before they were due to leave Thailand.
(With inputs from PTI)
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