CHON BURI: Police arrested four foreign suspects, including the leader of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Pattaya, in a raid connected to a club member’s alleged murder of Hans Peter Walter Mack, a German property broker in Nong Prue district.
Police raid one of eight locations in Pattaya, Chon Buri on Friday where they arrested four members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and seized their big bikes. Photo: Royal Thai Police
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said Provincial Police Region 2 and Chon Buri Provincial Police expanded their investigations of the motorcycle gang and found it had members of various nationalities, reports the Bangkok Post.
The gang has been involved in some illegal business, including drugs and human trafficking, he alleged.
The crackdown stems from investigations into Mack’s murder on June 4, in which police later arrested German national Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann, 52, a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and three other suspects; Petra Christl Grundgreif, 54, Nicole Frevel, 52 and Shahrukh Karim Uddin, 27.
Acting on the tip-off, police launched a crackdown on eight premises on Friday (July 21) to arrest the gang’s leader, Mr Thomas, an Austrian national.
During the raid, police arrested Mr Thomas at a house in tambon Nong Prue of Bang Lamung district as he was packing in preparation to flee the country.
Police confiscated his Harley Davidson motorcycle and other evidence.
Police said Mr Thomas admitted he was the gang’s leader but quit after learning of Mack’s murder.
Police ran a background check and found that the suspect had an arrest warrant out for fraud and inputting false information into a computer system.
Mr Thomas was sent to Pattaya police station for further legal action.
Police also arrested another gang member, identified as Danny, a German national, in a house at Chokchai Garden Home 2 in tambon Nong Prue.
The suspect also tested positive for illicit drug use.
Police also confiscated his Kawasaki Z900 motorcycle.
Police likewise arrested Daniel, an American national, and Theodor, a Swiss national, at other locations.
Their visas were revoked after Chonburi Immigration Office and Investigation Immigration Division 3 found that the two suspects violated the Immigration Act 1979.
Police confiscated their four motorcycles during the raid.
Pol Gen Surachate said police would expand their investigations into the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and other criminal gangs that have committed offences in the kingdom.
