When Your Friend Kidnaps You to Steal Your Bitcoins

A 32-year-old Singaporean was kidnapped, tortured and almost killed by his own friend because he wanted his Bitcoins.

Kim Lee Yao Wei was detained by the Thai police on Sunday for kidnapping his colleague and requested 1 million Singapore dollars ($740,000) in Bitcoin (BTC) as a ransom.

Cheng says he is appalled to learn that his friend Kim Lee is the mastermind of the kidnapping:

“I didn’t expect my friend to be involved. I really don’t know who I can trust now.“

Lee, who had met his friend Cheng, the co-founder of Avelife, through business with crypto, accompanied him on the trip where everything happened. Lee persuaded Cheng to travel to Thailand to do business with some local people. When they reached a certain gas station, they stopped at Lee’s suggestion. There, they were allegedly attacked and kidnapped by a group of masked men, blindfolded, and drugged.

Cheng claimed that he was taken to four different locations in forested areas over the next 12 hours. He said:

“They took off my clothes, sprayed me with ice water and gave me electric shocks. They asked me to hand over 1 million in Bitcoin.”

He could only afford to give them $62,400 in BTC. After paying them, they still took him to a hut in a field, where they pointed a gun at his head. He’d heard men digging a grave before.

“ Fortunately, I know martial arts. I reached behind my head and grabbed the pistol, and then I fled.“

According to the spokesman for the Thai police, Cheng was taken to the nearest police station on January 10 by a good Samaritan. Lee, on the other hand, was arrested in a hotel in Bangkok on January 12 after a large-scale search.

On Monday, the Thai police revealed that Lee was the alleged culprit behind the kidnapping and was charged with robbery, physical violence, illegal arrest, and illegal gun possession. . The police have secured most of the ransom. Cheng is shocked and very dismayed but will testify later on Lee’s trial.

Author: Marko Vidrih

Featured image credit: Pixabay