Boonlua Chatree
Pattaya police arrested a Sri Lankan man accused of bilking three
countrymen out of more than 600,000 baht and leaving them to beg on the
beach.
Sri Lankan Sunil Adayakumara
Aththalage Don has been charged with fraud, intimidation, theft of the
victims passport and 3 month overstay.
Sunil Adayakumara Aththalage Don, 38, was captured in an
after-midnight sting operation July 2 at the Faed Sam Apartments on Soi 10
following a complaint from three Sri Lankans who had supposedly hired Don to
get them security guard jobs in Pattaya.
K.P. Madu Shan, 21; H.A.K. Hettia Rachchi, 42; and W.S. Sahan Ishara, 22,
told police that Don had assured them he could secure them jobs paying up to
30,000 baht per month in exchange for the equivalent of 207,000 baht each
for documents and brokerage fees. The trio said they wired Don the money and
flew to Thailand, where the suspect met them at the airport.
Don then dropped off his would-be clients at the Pattaya apartment, not to
be seen again for a month. Having exhausted their money, the three resorted
to begging on Pattaya Beach for food.
The victims told police Don had contacted them, demanding another 50,000
baht each for additional required paperwork. At that point, they called
police, who had the men set up a meeting to supposedly deliver the cash.
When Don showed up to collect, police pounced.
Don was charged with fraud, intimidation, theft of the victims passport and
overstaying his own visa by three months. The Sri Lankan embassy was
contacted to arrange repatriation for the victims.
