AN Indian tourist filed a complaint at Pattaya City police station that he had been duped into buying two bottles of a “magic herb” by two Pakistani men at 10,000 baht each with police saying that other tourists too had been similarly scammed, TV Channel 7 said today (Nov. 7).
The 34-year-old unidentified tourist told Pol. Lt. Akarapong Saenputawong, a deputy inspector at this station, that while walking down Pattaya Two road the two Pakistani men noticed birthmarks on both his hands and came up to talk to him.
They said there is a shop at this seaside city that sells a miraculous herb and by mixing it with honey and having it for two weeks this disease will definitely go away.
They then took him to the shop where they said he wanted to buy this special herb at 900 baht a gramme plus a bottle of honey for 1,000 baht.
The victim said when he found out the price he changed his mind but the shopkeeper told him he had to buy two bottles of this herb because it had already been mixed with the price being 10,000 baht each for a total of 20,000 baht.
After that he went to eat in a restaurant where another tourist saw the two bottles of “magic herb” and came up and told him that he too had been similarly scammed with many other tourists also having been conned.
He then decided to report the scam to the police.
Pol. Lt. Akarapong coordinated with a team of investigators to inspect the shop and prosecute all those involved.
He said many tourists had been duped into buying exorbitantly-price herbal products with some having reported it but others had already returned to their country.
Several conmen had already been arrested but these scam gangs fearlessly continue selling overpriced herbal products to tourists and this could affect Pattaya’s image, he added.
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Pixelated image of the two Pakistani suspects. Photo: TV Channel 7
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