Andrew Drummond

KATE KYRIACOU and ANDREW DRUMMOND in BANGKOK
October 14, 2007 12:15am

AN Adelaide man has vanished hours before he was to give evidence about an alleged Bandidos’ crime ring in Thailand having told police of threats to kill him.

Erik Riemsdyk, who is from Elizabeth but now lives in Thailand, told of the attempt in an explosive 14-page report he prepared for Thai police on the gang’s activities.
Mr Riemsdyk was going to testify against two alleged Bandidos members on the Thai island of Koh Samui when he vanished on October 4.

He was last seen when he checked into a hotel near the court, but checked out again soon after. Australian officials are trying to find the 44-year-old, who has been reported missing by his South Australian family.

The Thai court has ordered prosecutors to find Mr Riemsdyk in time for a hearing tomorrow at which he is required to give evidence.

Mr Riemsdyk, who moved to the holiday island 10 years ago, said in his dossier that Bandidos members had taken over the tropical paradise with drugs, prostitution and standover tactics.

In his report, seen by the Sunday Mail, Mr Riemsdyk said his accusations “specifically related to money laundering, drug dealing and smuggling, extortion, murder, terrorism, internet and media loading and networking to create an unfair business environment”.

‘”This letter is a formal request for assistance with respect to the extortion and attempted murder of myself by high-ranking members of foreign organised crime gangs operating in Koh Samui, Thailand – specifically the Bandidos Motorcycle Gang,” he wrote.

The report, handed to Thai police in 2005, did not provide further details on the alleged attempt on Mr Riemsdyk’s life.

The document was to be used in the case against two accused bikies, both from Europe, who were living in Koh Samui.

They are accused of being members of a secret society of extortion.

One of the pair, a former business partner of Mr Riemsdyk, has claimed the case is nothing more than mistaken identity.

“It was a motorcycle club, nothing more,” he said in a statement.

Mr Riemsdyk detailed the names of 36 bars, 46 restaurants, 14 health spas, 74 hotels and resorts, 32 property companies, 40 individual properties, 10 dive companies and seven water sports companies who he says have links to crime syndicates.

He named 73 individuals – including four Australians – as involved in money laundering and drug running on the island.

One of the Australians faced charges last year and was held by police, but he was later released when the charges were dropped.

Mr Riemsdyk also named a former Australian policeman as being involved in the crime syndicate.

The ex-policeman said he had seen the two alleged bikies, who are currently on trial, wearing Bandidos colours, but denied Mr Riemsdyk’s allegations.

“His report is totally without substance,” he said. “The writings of somebody mentally imbalanced.”

The former policeman was used by the prosecution as an expert on motorcycle gangs.

In his report, Mr Riemsdyk said he was forced to join the motorcycle gang after they took over his monthly real estate magazine.

He said bikies were creating fake land title documents claiming they owned vast stretches of picturesque national park.

They would use the land, the report said, to build 5-star villas that would then be sold or rented to rich clientele, he wrote.

From there, the bikies would provide what he described as the “five Cs” – “cigars, caviar, champagne, cocaine and c***” within the walls of the exclusive communities.

“What I have been exposed to is just the tip of the iceberg,” Mr Riemsdyk wrote.

“I sincerely believe that Samui has been completely overrun by foreign organised crime and that the Bandidos motorcycle gang, along with British organised crime, are leading the assault.”

A Thai news report claimed Mr Riemsdyk went to ground after he refused to transport several kilos of heroin for the Bandidos, but resurfaced to help police in the lead-up to the court case against the two men.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was assisting the family of a man reported as missing in Koh Samui “and have recommended that they contact their local police station to report the man as missing”.

“Our embassy in Bangkok has been attempting to contact the man,” she said.

Members of the Adelaide man’s family said they had “no comment to make whatsoever” when contacted by the Sunday Mail.