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Two Russians simulate abduction on Phuket Island to extort money from relatives - police

They demanded $100,000 dollars in ransom

© EPA/BARBARA WALTON

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Two Russian tourists saved off Thailand’s Phuket island

BANGKOK, March 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Two Russians have staged their own abduction on the Thai resort island of Phuket with an aim to extort money from their relatives.

Phuket’s Provincial Police Commander Major General Ong-art Phiewruangnont told a news conference on Monday that the criminal drama turned out to be nothing more than an attempt by two “missing” Russians, Jana Strizheus and Alexei Slabinsky, to extort money from their relatives by simulating abduction.

Police found Jana Strizheus with cuts on her neck and arms at a Phuket hotel last Sunday.

“That was not a kidnapping. I can assure you that none of Thai citizens was involved in the affiair,” Phiewruangnont said.

Jana Strizheus is now staying in hospital under guard. Doctors say that her life is out of danger. The whereabouts of her “missing” boyfriend is still unknown to the Thai police.

Jana Strizheus and Alexei Slabinsky from the Russian far eastern city of Vladivostok used to lease a small city on Phuket. Last week, their relatives announced they had not heard from the couple since March 7. After that, Jana phoned her relatives to say that she had been kidnapped and that her captors were demanding $100,000 dollars in ransom.

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