BANGKOK – Thai police announced on April 19 the arrest of Miss Sandra Christina Marie Diersten, a 45-year-old French woman, on suspicion of leading a group of foreigners in a plot to rob and kidnap the 7-year-old daughter of a wealthy Thai businesswoman.
The arrest came after Ms. IIssaree Suwunnavid, CEO of Knightsbridge Bloodstock and KXCO, a blockchain technology company, filed a police report alleging that a gang of foreigners was planning to kidnap her daughter and demand a ransom of over 200 million baht.
According to police, one of the plotters had a change of heart and alerted Ms. Suwunnavid, allowing police to intervene before the plan could be carried out.
Police identified Miss Diersten as the leader of the group and obtained an arrest warrant for her. She was apprehended at a hotel in Bangkok’s Silom district on April 18, 2024.
During her arrest, Miss Diersten reportedly tried to stall police by speaking only French. However, police officer Pol. Lt. Lertvaris Lertworapreecha was able to communicate with her in English, and she eventually surrendered.
Miss Diersten denied the allegations against her, claiming that she was a legitimate businesswoman who had been defrauded into investing in a deal with Ms. Suwunnavid’s husband, an Australian citizen. She claimed she lost 185 million baht on the said investment. She claimed that she was framed in order to have her arrested and prevent the repayment of her investment.
Despite her claims, police have charged Miss Diersten with being a member of a secret society, a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to 140,000 baht. If convicted as the leader of the group, she could face up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 baht.
