Thai police lure fugitives with fake prize draw, arrest them

Thai police nabbed 14 suspected criminals after telling them they were winners of a lucky draw and arresting them when they showed up to collect their prizes.

The wanted men came out of hiding to pick up televisions and cash cheques they were told they had won when their phone or national identification numbers were picked out in a draw, said Pol.

Lt-Gen. Krisada Pankongchoen, who masterminded the scam. "We're happy with the result. We didn't expect anyone to fall for this," he told Reuters. "They probably felt very stupid, especially those who were in hiding for months."                                           

Police sent hundreds of congratulatory letters to the registered addresses of suspected criminals across Bangkok and the surrounding areas, among them rapists and thieves, Krisada said. They waited at various locations in the city and pounced when 14 showed up expecting to receive their prizes.                                           

"Many of them have been on our wanted list for some time and had probably thought the police were no longer pursuing them, so they weren''t suspicious," he added.