Ukrainian crypto holder in Thailand loses USDT 250,000 to armed robbers

Ukrainian headliner Viacheslav Leibov was robbed by a group of armed men in Phuket, Thailand on November 8.

The incident resulted in a loss of 250,000 USDT and is the latest in a series of security incidents involving crypto investors in major cities.

Armed robbery

According to the Bangkok Post report, the 23-year-old Leibov was invited to a hotel room by Alfred Chernyshuk, a younger acquaintance, and there he met Arman Grigoryan. Grigoryan engaged him in a seemingly harmless conversation on the balcony.

However, things took a violent turn when Leibov went to use the bathroom. The victim was met by two masked people who tied him up and demanded a transfer of 500,000 USDT under the threat of breaking his fingers.

The attackers brandished weapons: Grigoryan held a hammer while one of the masked men wielded a knife. Asking for a compromise, Leibov managed to negotiate the ransom down to 250,000 USDT, which he transferred to his specified wallet. The attackers then tied him to a bed, asked him to be quiet and fled the scene.

After breaking free, Leibov called for help from hotel staff, who confirmed that Chernyshuk and Grigoryan were registered as occupants of the room. He made a quick attempt to track down the assailants at the airport, but was unsuccessful. Leibov then filed a police report detailing the horrific ordeal.

Physical theft of crypto on the rise

Physical assaults targeting people with cryptocurrency holdings are becoming more common in different parts of the world, including Thailand.

For example, five Russian men were accused of kidnapping a Belarusian couple on this resort island and forcing them to transfer 31 million baht in cryptocurrency before releasing them in January. They were subsequently sentenced to two years in prison.

A month later, Thai authorities arrested a Russian man on the island of Samui, who allegedly robbed another Russian of Bitcoin worth about 1.8 million baht. Police believe the suspect belongs to a Russian criminal gang that preys on other Russians involved in Bitcoin investment. The victim, identified as Yevgini, claimed that six Russian men threatened him and his wife while they were at a cafe in Taling Ngam. Four suspects arrived in a van, while two others arrived on motorbikes, demanding that Yevgini transfer Bitcoin worth around 112 million baht under threats of violence.

In another incident in July, five foreigners were arrested for violently robbing a British cryptocurrency trader in Bangkok. More recently, four Chinese nationals allegedly forced their way into a luxury residence in Pathum Thani, where they forced the victim to transfer $2 million in cryptocurrency.

SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored) Binance Free $600 (Exclusive to CryptoPotato): Use this link to register a new account and receive an exclusive welcome offer of $600 to Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER 2024 on BYDFi Exchange – Up to $2888 Welcome Reward, Use this link to register and open a 100 USDT-M position for free!