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.
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.
Sri Lankan Sunil Adayakumara Aththalage Don has been charged with fraud, intimidation, theft of the victims passport and 3 month overstay.
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.
