Posted on 09/02/2002 3:37:41 PM PDT by ASA Vet
Court orders Russian suspects held
Blood samples taken for getaway car check
Jerdsak Saengthongcharoen
Pattaya court yesterday approved the further detention
of three Russians alleged to have robbed a bank and
killed a policeman on Friday.
Police received permission to hold them until Sept 13.
About 20 armed police escorted Felix Cheremnykh,
Mapat Minlikeev and Renat Udarov to the court at 11.15am.
Judge Sa-nguan Itarayanont allowed a further 12 days
detention so police could continue their investigation
and questioning of witnesses.
Blood samples were taken from the three suspects at
Bang Lamung hospital yesterday for DNA testing.
The results will be compared with blood samples taken
from a pick-up truck used in the robbery.
Mr Cheremnykh had rented the truck. He has a gunshot
wound to his right thigh. The injury had become infected
and was treated at hospital yesterday.
One of the robbers was shot in the leg during the hold-up.
The three arrested suspects and one or two accomplices
still at large allegedly robbed the Bank of Ayudhya's
South Pattaya branch last Friday and made off with
2.4 million baht in cash. A policeman was shot dead
during the robbery.
The three Russians were arrested in a boat off Prachuap
Khiri Khan on Saturday.
Senior Special Branch, regional and local police met for
about two hours in Pattaya yesterday to discuss
progress in the investigation.
And the search continued for two other people believed
to be accomplices in the hold-up.
Pol Lt-Gen Pakorn Sapakit said police had seized
570,000 baht from the Na Klua branch of Siam Commercial Bank,
in northern Pattaya.
Mr Cheremnykh had reportedly paid the money to Suthep
Samut for a speed boat used by the gang in their getaway bid.
Mr Suthep deposited the money at the branch.
Police will check if the deposited bank notes were part
of the cash secretly marked by staff of the robbed bank.
Pol Lt-Gen Pakorn said another Russian suspect,
identified as Iliyas, was known to have entered Thailand
with the three arrested men in July.
They stayed together at the Jomthien Complex on
Jomthien beach.
Mr Cheremnykh had claimed that Iliyas had left the
country, but Pol Lt-Gen Pakorn said immigration police
at all checkpoints had not seen him depart.
Police believe there was another accomplice,
but they had still not determined if the suspect was Thai.
The preparations for the gang's escape and the pick-up
truck stolen in Bangkok and used by the gang hinted
that the last suspect might be Thai, he said.
But against that was the fact that Russian criminals
rarely trusted anyone outside their own gang,
Pol Lt-Gen Pakorn said.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday blamed poor
immigration controls for the influx of foreign criminals
into Thailand.
The government would have to review its visa-on-arrival
policy and improve the on-line immigration system to
allow for blacklist checks.
``We will probably stop providing visas on arrival for
the countries which cause trouble,''
he said, declining to name specific nations.
``But even those countries, it is only a small
percentage of arrivals who cause problems,''
Mr Thaksin said.
He added the government would be careful not to let
stricter immigration checks affect tourism.
The Russians claimed to be just fishing.
The men were seen throwing a bag over the side before
they were captured. A search of the sea floor has begun,
but is difficult due to a storm.
The man with the gun shot wound claimed he'd
accidentaly shot himself.
A background investigation has determined he was
an ex Russian soldier.
Thailand does have capital punishment for murder, but not for bank robbery.
Religion of peace.
I only know Pattaya by reputation, having never gone there myself.
Mrs ASA Vet is from Udonthani, and being an old fashioned ex-school teacher
I doubt see would look kindly on my checking it out.
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