A Russian man was assaulted and robbed by a fellow country man at a luxury hotel in Thailand.

During the assault, the victim suffered countless bruises and several blows to the head, some of which were so serious that it knocked him unconscious in the hotel room toilet. Luckily, the man managed to survive the attack but it left him $20,000 poorer.

But this there is a twist to the story, because this was more than just a random robbery, because the victim and assailant were business partners at one point of their life.

The whole story

The victim, 31-year-old Russian national Mr. Zelimkhan, apparently knew the assailant. The assailant, identified as Andrei, previously had a cryptocurrency business dealing with Zelimkhan in Russia. It was during this business acquisition where both parties had a monetary dispute over profits or failed transactions, which was the catalyst for this crime.

Desperate to get his money back, Andrei followed Zelimkhan all the way to Thailand and his hotel room in Phuket to demand for his money, threatening his life if he refused.

Andrei also forced Zelimkhan to unlock his crypto wallet on his phone. When Zelimkhan refused to provide the password, Andrei resorted to violence and repeatedly punched and kicked Zelimkhan.

Zelimkhan later directed Andrei to his suitcase, claiming that he could take the money inside. Andrei seized a total of $20,000 in cash, tied Zelimkhan to the bathroom door and left.

Zelimkhan later managed to free himself from the wire restraints, and immediately went to the Karon Police Station to report the incident.

Andrei's arrest, while his accomplice is on the run

Andrei was arrested one day later at The Residence Resort and Spa Retreat in Chernh Talay, Thalang district, while he was staying with his family.

Andrei's accomplice, Mr Dmitri, fled to Dubai after the crime, and is still on the run. Thai police have requested an Interpol Red Notice.

Both suspects have been charged with vonspiracy to commit extortion by death threats and conspiracy to detain or imprison others.

Has crypto perpetuated crimes?

With cryptocurrencies becoming increasingly valuable, it has been linked to more and more violent crimes. In 2024 alone, the digital gold rush has fueled a wave of chilling crimes, from high stakes kidnapping to violent extortions.

In July, four men were arrested for abducting and murdering a 29-year-old tourist in Kyiv, all just to steal 3 Bitcoin. After discovering the victim owned BTC, the suspects followed and assaulted the tourist, attempting to force a Bitcoin transfer before the situation turned deadly.

A month later, a similar case was reported in Santa Teresa de Cobano beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where eleven Israeli tourists were robbed of a substantial amount of Bitcoin at gunpoint by criminals dressed in police uniforms.