Malaysian mastermind behind RM105mil scam arrested in Thailand
Published on: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
By: FMT
Thai commander of the economic crime suppression division Pol Maj Gen Puttidej Bunkrapue (left) at the press conference in Bangkok today. In the centre is Thai central investigation bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Thai police have cracked down on a scam syndicate and arrested nine suspects, including two Malaysians, who allegedly lured more than 50 victims into an investment scheme, causing losses of 800 million baht (RM105.26 million).
Commander of the economic crime suppression division Pol Maj Gen Puttidej Bunkrapue said one of the Malaysians, aged 42, was believed to be the mastermind of the syndicate.
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He was arrested in Sadao, Songkhla, on March 6.
Another man – a 26-year-old with a criminal record in Malaysia – along with his 30-year-old Thai girlfriend, were arrested in Bangkok the following day.
He said the Malaysian men and Thai woman were believed to be part of a transnational syndicate operating across Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
“The syndicate is estimated to have more than five billion baht (RM657.90 million) circulating within its network.”
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He said most of the 50 victims were women. Some of the victims transferred between 10 and 15 million baht at a time.
“An elderly Thai woman suffered the highest loss of 50 million baht (RM6.58 million),” he told Bernama.
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Puttidej said the two Malaysians are facing charges that include fraud, computer crimes and technology crimes. They could be jailed for up to five years for the offences.
They may also face charges of transnational organised crime, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, he said.
Puttidej said police seized 84 bank accounts containing more than 20 million baht in total as well as 20 crypto accounts.
Police also seized 33 computers, 65 mobile phones, and a collection of luxury goods, including cars, branded bags and watches.
Arrest warrants have been issued for more than 50 suspects, including eight Malaysians and one Indonesian, allegedly involved with the syndicate.
“We are seeking cooperation from Malaysian police to hunt down more suspects,” Puttidej said.
The victims were lured to invest using a fake app called “Nichare”. The app promised easy profits and allowed initial withdrawals to build up the trust of victims.
However, the victims faced hurdles when they tried to withdraw larger amounts later.
The scammers then pressured them to pay additional fees, including guarantee fees and taxes, supposedly to unlock their original investments.
This made the victims suspicious and led to them filing complaints.
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