Deputy Chief Jo and Inspector Ja led the Metropolitan Police investigation team, along with relevant agencies, to trace and rescue a 12-year-old girl who had been missing for four days. The girl was deceived by a man via an online game, who then used psychological tactics to control and confine her in a condominium. The incident is under detailed investigation, with potential additional charges to be filed against the offender.
At 01:30 on 29 Jan 2026, Pol. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Metropolitan Police Chief, along with Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradej Thammasuthi, Deputy Chief, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chotiwat Luangwilai, Commander of the Metropolitan Police Investigation Division, Pol. Maj. Gen. Witawat Chinkham, Commander of Police Station 5, Pol. Col. Phopthorn Jitmun, Deputy Commander of Police Station 5, Pol. Col. Worapot Rungkrajang, Deputy Commander of the Metropolitan Police Investigation Division, Pol. Col. Watit Rojanaipaitoon, Commander of Wat Prayakrai Police Station, Pol. Col. Archawasit Sribunyamanon, Commander of Investigation Unit 3, Pol. Lt. Col. Eksit Worakittakorn, Deputy Commander of Investigation Unit 1, Pol. Lt. Col. Watsathon Wakeatthana, Deputy Commander of Wat Prayakrai Police Station Investigation Unit, Pol. Lt. Chakkaphong Pitakkornsakul, Investigator at Wat Prayakrai Police Station, Pol. Lt. Thanypeerasit Chulphiphop, Investigator at Investigation Unit 3, Pol. Lt. Siwatch Yangun, Investigator at Wat Prayakrai Police Station, Pol. Lt. Woraphat Sangthianprapai, Investigator at Investigation Unit 2, Pol. Lt. Polwat Naktomya, Investigator at Bang Yikhan Police Station, together with officers from the Narcotics Suppression Center and Metropolitan Police Investigation Unit, conducted a coordinated investigation and arrest operation.
Noraphat Mingsomboon, or Keng, 26, from Bangkok, was charged with unlawfully abducting a child under 15 years old away from their parents, guardians, or caretakers for sexual purposes. Charges related to molestation or other offenses are pending further evidence from ongoing investigation. He was arrested at his 11th-floor apartment in Bang Mod subdistrict, Thung Khru district, Bangkok.
The circumstances describe a “4-day mystery like a hellish pit” when a 12-year-old girl in grade 5 mysteriously disappeared on 24 Jan 2026. By nightfall, she had not returned home, causing her mother and family great concern for her safety. They promptly filed a missing person report at Wat Prayakrai Police Station, not waiting for 24 hours. Pol. Col. Watit Rojanaipaitoon, Commander of Wat Prayakrai Police Station, and Pol. Lt. Siwatch Yangun, Investigator, sensed irregularities during questioning. They found that the chat messages between the girl and her family suddenly stopped after the report was filed. An investigative team was immediately dispatched to the area and uncovered leads regarding two suspects suspected of drug use who had taken the girl. The abduction case became complex and obscure as leads vanished. After 24 hours of fruitless searching on the first day, the family remained hopeful, constantly monitoring developments at the police station, encouraging officers not to give up despite the lack of progress.
Authorities continued canvassing the neighborhood and the girl's school area, turning the case into widespread news. However, despite a thorough search, there was still no trace of the girl, deepening the mystery. On the third day, social media channels, including the Drama - Addict page, began posting missing person alerts for the 12-year-old, but no clues emerged. Pol. Col. Watit urgently reported the unusual nature of the case to Pol. Gen. Siam Boonsom, who ordered Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradej Thammasuthi to deploy Inspector Ja’s team, along with Investigator Thanypeerasit Chulphiphop, to assist the Wat Prayakrai Police Station investigation immediately. Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradej commanded the team to spread photos of the girl throughout Bangkok, but no leads surfaced. As the investigation seemed to stall and hope diminished with each passing second, the team persevered, reviewing CCTV footage near the girl's home repeatedly. They finally found a glimmer of hope—a footprint matching the shoes of a mysterious man who had recently sent a friend request to the girl online. This slight connection became a crucial lead, prompting investigators to follow the man's trail to vital evidence about 15 kilometers from the girl’s home.
A motorbike carrying three people was seen, with the girl sitting in the middle, flanked by two mysterious men, before disappearing without a trace. After four days, the investigative team pursued the case relentlessly. At 01:30 on 29 Jan 2026, while searching in the Thung Khru area, the investigators’ eyes caught sight of something significant: “The shoe was the last puzzle piece they had been seeking for four days.” The man wearing the shoes walked nearby and disappeared into a condominium.
Investigators ordered a raid on the 11th-floor apartment. Inside, they found the girl in a weakened state, curled up under a blanket, with Noraphat (surname withheld) present. A search uncovered the victim’s phone, switched off and hidden in the suspect’s bag. All evidence indicated the girl’s four-day ordeal had ended. Noraphat was immediately detained, and both he and the girl were taken to Wat Prayakrai Police Station. The girl was reunited with her mother, and the suspect was formally charged and the investigation expanded to its fullest extent.
Noraphat confessed to all charges, stating he did not know the girl’s age and denied any misconduct toward her. He explained the blood found on the bed came from an injury to his own leg. He said they met online through a game and he merely invited her to play games together at his apartment. Regarding the victim’s phone being switched off, he claimed the battery had run out.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradej Thammasuthi, Deputy Chief of Metropolitan Police, said preliminary questioning revealed that the offender exploited the girl’s innocence, deceiving her online and luring her out. He then used psychological manipulation to control and coerce the victim. The incident is under thorough investigation, with potential additional charges to be filed against the perpetrator.
He warned all youths that the online world is not always a safe place. Strangers met through games or social media may not be true friends. Affection from a stranger cannot compare to the love of parents. He urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s social media use, warning against criminals using “games” as tools to steal their children’s hearts. Any suspicious incidents should be reported immediately to hotline 191 or the Metropolitan Police Bureau Facebook page. The police will act promptly to protect the public, in accordance with the policies of Police Chief Kittirat Phanpetch and Metropolitan Police Chief Siam Boonsom.