The strange tale of 3 Omanis

[bocelli27]

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.php?IDNEWS=0000011141

 

Maybe I'm getting mre cynical as I get older, but this one has the antennae twitching.

 

During a minibus ride from Bangkok to Pattaya a group of three Omani nationals have been drugged and subsequently robbed by 2 unknown men from Monaco.

 

Pattaya, the 20th of November 2009 [PDN]: In the early hours of Friday morning police Lieutenant General Phatsa Detphakkul (inspector with the Pattaya police) received a report that 3 Omani nationals were in need of assistance at the Maine Yensabai condominium complex, South Pattaya. A team of police officers and members from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation attended the scene.

 

When officers arrived at the scene they found the 3 foreign men asleep in their room. Upon further investigation one of the men, now known to be a Mr Zahran Saud Salim age 28 awoke in a somewhat dazed state. Mr Zahran explained to police that the other two men were his brothers, a Mr Bader Saud Salim age 40, and Mr Hamed Saud Salim age 32. He further informed police that he believed that they had been drugged by 2 men from Monaco with which they shared a minibus from Bangkok the previous night.

 

After a brief interview with the still dazed man, police were able to assertain that the trio had caught a minibus from the Nana Inn hotel in Bangkok sharing the fair with a pair of men from Monaco who were unknown to the brothers. During the journey the bus made a stop at a food center on the motorway in order for the men to get something to eat. At this time the 2 men from Monaco allegedly went to purchase some burgers for them all to enjoy, which the Omani brothers assumed was just a kind gesture. After the meal was consumed the trip continued, at which time the 3 brothers fell asleep in the bus, only awakening when the bus stoped out the front of the Marine Yensabai Condo, which they had pre-booked from Bangkok. At the time the 3 men thought that nothing untoward had occurred and put their dazed states down to suffering from a dose of travel sickness.

 

Mr Zahran explained that when he and his brothers arrived in their room they decided to get some more sleep as they all were still feeling very tired. Mr Zahran was the first to awake at which time he started to unpack his bags, discovering that almost all their money, an amount nearing 63,000 baht and their 3 mobile phones had gone missing. Suspecting the 2 men that had accompanied them on the journey Mr Zahran went to talk with the driver of the minibus who explained that the 2 other men had been dropped off at the Central Pattaya intersection on Sukhumvit Road. The police were then called to the scene to investigate the situation further.

 

Police asked the officers from the Sawang Boriboon foundation that were at the scene to take the three men to the Banglamung Hospital were they could undergo a blood test and recover from their ordeal. Mr Zahran’s 2 brothers had still not awoken yet, which was also a cause for concern. It was later discovered that the 3 brothers had been drugged with sleeping pills possibly inserted into the burgers that they had consumed the night before.

 

Police will now wait for the three men to fully recover before further questioning them. They will also be asked to describe the appearance of the 2 men from Monaco so that police may get a sketch drawn up of their faces. In light of this recent criminal activity police are urging all tourists to be careful who they befriend and to watch over their possessions with extreme vigilance. Officers believe that this was not the first time that these men had performed such a trick and that they will most probably do it again.

[labaggies]

Seems strange that the villains were from Monaco, one of the most affluent places on the planet. I would query the claim from the guy's from Oman, or maybe they made a mistake and should have stated Morocco!!

Edited November 20, 2009 by labaggies

[irishstu007]

The story sounds a bit fishy to me all right. Maybe the driver had something to do with it as why would he not be taking the Monaco guys to a hotel.

[ruskiehat]

Just be carefull about ridesharing and be cautious especially of other expats when abroad