Pattaya connection in Phuket murder
PHUKET: Police investigating the murder of 25-year-old Russian Maxim Schantz last night at The Lantern in Koh Kaew are waiting to hear from colleagues in Pattaya about a possible link to a scam call centre there which was broken up in February.
Wednesday 3 August 2011, 04:22AM
The two men police now believe were involved in Mr Schantz’s brutal stabbing and murder, Swedes Ulf Carl Johan Hellbacken (36) and Tommy Viktor Söderlund (26), were among seven people arrested at the Viking Internet shop in Pattaya in February.
All were charged with working in Thailand without work permits. It was alleged that they used voice over Internet to call people worldwide to convince them to hand over deposits for good or services.
A bank account was found containing almost B10 million, which police believe consisted of the gang’s takings from their scam operations.
A source told The Phuket News that Mr Soderlund had twice booked into The Lantern, the second occasion being shortly before last night’s murder. The source also said that the Thai man whose motorbike was stolen had confirmed that the two men who stole it were foreigners.
Police have ruled out robbery as a motive and are now leaning towards a “business dispute”.
