Thai police have launched a manhunt for two Russians suspected of turning a cryptocurrency dispute into a violent robbery in Phuket.
According to the local newspaper Khaosod, there was a 31-year-old Russian national attack and stole $20,000 from a hotel in Karon, Phuket. The two suspects, who were known to be associates of the victim, allegedly confronted him about unsettled cryptocurrency debts stemming from previous business dealings in Russia.
A complaint by local police alleges that the schoolmaster, identified as Andrei, asked the victim to repay $120,000 and tried to take forced the victim to unlock his crypto wallet, even threatening to kill him if he refused.
When the victim resisted unlocking the bag, he was punched and kicked again, and eventually lost consciousness after being hit on the back of the head. The attackers then fled after stealing money and left the victim trapped in the bathroom.
One suspect, Andrei, is still in Thailand, while the second, Dmitri, fled to Dubai shortly after the incident. Arrest warrants have been issued, and Thai authorities are continuing to track down the suspects with the assistance of immigration and local police units.
Cryptocurrencies, now more valuable than ever, have become bigger involved with a crime of violence. In 2024 alone, the digital gold rush has fueled a wave of cold-blooded crimes, from high-profile kidnappings to violent extortion.
In July, there were four men arrest for the kidnapping and murder of a 29-year-old tourist in Kyiv, which the police said was a premeditated incident over plans to steal 3 Bitcoin. After realizing that the victim owned BTC, the suspects followed and attacked the tourist, trying to force the transfer of Bitcoin before the situation turned deadly.
A month later, there was a similar case reported on the beach of Santa Teresa de Cóbano in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Eleven Israeli tourists were robbed of large amounts of Bitcoin at gunpoint by criminals in police uniforms and believed to have police training.
