David John Hanks, 66, a former pupil of Girvan Academy, Ayrshire and former owner of the Masquerades Brothel in Melbourne, Australia ,was remanded in Thailand at the weekend for trial in June on racketeering charges.
His co-defendant Alexander Matusov former boss of the Russian mafia group Chelkovo, who had been bailed, wrote to the court to say at the weekend he was otherwise engaged. He had he said developed sclerosis of the liver and could not travel from Moscow.
Both Matusov and Hanks faced multiple charges which centred around a money lending racket in the eastern resort of Pattaya – lending money to Russians at 60 per cent a month.
Hanks was described as the ‘funder’. He had sold the Masquerades Brothel in Keysborough in the suburbs of Melbourne before leaving Australia.
He had also sold a AUS$1 million plus property.
Matusov, known by his nickname “Basmach” —meaning “bandit”— was taken by Thai immigration officers to Suvarnabhumi Airport and put on a flight to Russia last July.
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| Matusov at his arrest last year |
Russian Vice Consul in Thailand Alexei Falunin said that the Chelkovo gang was one of the most dangerous gangs operating in Russian up until 2009. It was responsible for some 60 murders.
Matusov is suspected of being involved in scores of killings, kidnappings and extortion practices in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the 1990s, and was living in Thailand on a retirement visa.
In fact separate to the Pattaya proceedings Matusov was detained last year at the request of the Russian authorities and deported back to Moscow. He went reluctantly, reported ITAR-Tass.
“The only illegal thing that I did here was to lift this passport at a police station an hour ago,” the report cited Matusov as saying, after which he pulled out a Vietnamese passport from his pocket with his handcuffed hands.
Matusov then lay down on the floor, demanding to see a lawyer, until officers put him into a wheelchair and rolled him to his flight, ITAR-Tass reported.
Matusov was nicknamed “Basmach” meaning ‘Bandit.
A year ago a Pattaya court in Thailand heard how David Hanks, 67, operated as a henchman for Drew Noyes, 60, an American who had set up quasi legal offices in the Thai resort.
Noyes has initially falsely claimed he was an American lawyer.
He has since been sentenced to two year in jail for extortion along with his wife Wanrapa Boonsu.
(Prior to arriving in Thailand Noyes had been the subject of an exposé in the Morning Star in Wilmington, North Carolina. An article headed ‘Trouble Follows Developer’ contained statements accusing him of property and share fraud and sexual harassment. He had allegedly told a co-worker that if she wanted to continue her hours she would have to supply him with an oral sex service).
The victim Australian Michel Goulet, co-owner of the Thonglor Clinic in Pattaya told the court how he was first approached by Hanks who posed as a patient seeking a face lift.
Hanks told him that he had worked for Chinese and Russian mafia and told him he should speak with his boss Noyes, so that he could successfully run his business in Pattaya. Noyes was also then the publisher of the now defunct Pattaya Times newspaper.
Noyes and his wife subsequently demanded 7 million baht from Goulet £135,000 on pain of a raid by officers of Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division and bad publicity in his newspaper when something ‘illegal’ was found on the premises.
Noyes later reduced his demand to 2.3 million baht (£44,346) after Goulet said he could not find the money in time. Police set up a sting and caught Noyes and Boonsu in the act of taking a down payment.
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| Drew Noyes at his election at the Lions Club DSilom 310D on the right his Secretary Warichya Pharawet |
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Noyes struck lucky with a predominatly India Lions Club in Bangkok and was elected President last year with his former bar service girl new ‘wife’ Warichaya Pharawet elected as secretary, Hanks was invited to the celebrations.
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| Bill Monson |
The intended victim was former US millionaire Bill Monson, who claimed he had been cheated out of his fortune in the cable television and mobile phone business by his former partner Thaksin Shinawatra – Thailand’s longest serving Prime Minister.
Monson sensed something wrong after they demanded US$7 million. Then Monson’s representative who toured sex bars with them in Pattaya’s Soi 6 Yodsak reported back that they were a bunch of low lives.
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| Hanks and Noyes with twin Generals at the Army Club in Bangkok – Picture (Pattaya Times now defunct)
While on bail and on trial for extortion Noyes was allowed to travel between Thailand and the United States and on his Facebook page he proudly pictures military officers escorting him through Immigration.
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They've lined up 18 witnesses? Sounds like they're serious about him…sounds like the 3 amigos next reunion will be behind bars!
David Hanks is obviously another Walter Mitty trying too hard to play the 'bad guy'. His allegiance with the likes of Drew Noyes and Brian Goudie reveals he is just a wannabe D grade villain only involved in the lowest of deeds like loan sharking and prostituting women for gain. Hopefully they have confiscated his passport so he can't run.
Indeed Tim.
Goldies now on the run, not even blogging…this is how serious it's situation is.
Pimp, Ginger nuts " business partner" has refused to face Thai justice.
Noyse soon to lose his appeal for extortion………so 2 years in a lovely Thai prison. Wonder if security will be escorting you to and from the shower block? That will be interesting…..
So…nite nite frauds, extortionists, racketeers, pimps, pedophiles, liars, human traffickers, tax evaders. Took a while but we finally nailed you. Rejoice!
Of course and not stated above……
Noyse did attempt to leave Thaiand recently. This was refused by the Thai authoroties
Can we still see this episode somewhere online?
‘Brian Goldie – Swindler Scot’
Did google for it but unfortunately could not find it.
Its not on the net because I guess the series is still selling, and I have a copy. But of course I do not have permission to put on net. Let me find out
This "Ginger Nuts" has the appearance of a red headed pissant, as precisely alluded to in different ways already. The pack mentality works both ways boys, I mean Noyes.
"Pissant is an epithet for an inconsequential, irrelevant, or worthless person, especially one who is irritating or contemptible out of proportion to his or her perceived significance. A Virginia politician is said to have silenced a heckler by saying, "I'm a big dog on a big hunt and I don't have time for a piss-ant on a melon stalk." – from Wikipedia
Some people dwell in the lower areas of consciousness where greed, selfishness and exploitation reign. Hatred, vengeance, cheating and deviousness are their characteristics. Ginger Balls Hanks, not content with making a lot of money brothel keeping, then turns to loan sharking which is arguably worst than the flesh trade, as it targets societies most vulnerable people like gamblers or drug addicts. What a despicable low life this guy is. First he joins Drew Noyes in an extortion attempt, then teams up with Brian Goudie to launch vexatious lawsuits against Andrew. Now it seems he has tried to lend money at extortionate interest rates. What a piece of work. Total scum. Now he's in the Thai legal system he'll get some real good experience about extortion. I hope somebody has told the police how he made his money. Perhaps a email to the Pattaya rozzers is in order.