Overview
- Thai police raided a two-storey house in Pattaya and rescued three Indian men who had been held, tied and reportedly tortured after being lured on a low-cost holiday package; officers say the rescue took place on Monday when relatives alerted the Indian Embassy and Thai authorities.
- Five Indian suspects were arrested in Bangkok while allegedly preparing to leave the country and have been identified as Avtar Singh, Jagjit Singh, Rambalak Kumar, Sukhbir Singh and Kulra Singh.
- Investigators recovered adhesive tape, rope, a wooden object and red spray paint that they say was used to stage injuries in video calls used to coerce families into paying about 2.4 million baht (roughly Rs 68–70 lakh) in ransom.
- Police say the arrested men told investigators they acted on instructions from a Pakistani national believed to be in Dubai who used a UAE-registered phone number and chat apps to recruit and coordinate the plot and planned to receive payments via digital transfers.
- The case has prompted consular involvement and a cross-border probe that could include Dubai law enforcement and possible extradition steps, and it raises fresh concerns about scams that target tourists through fake travel packages.