9-2-2024 (BANGKOK) Three individuals, including two Nigerian men and a Thai woman, were apprehended in Thalang district of this popular resort island province for their alleged participation in a romance scam.
The arrest transpired during a raid conducted at a residence in the Phatcharee Thalang housing estate on Thursday evening. Authorities apprehended 32-year-old Kanyathanat Thotsatham along with the two Nigerian nationals, whose identities remained undisclosed by the police.
In addition to the arrests, law enforcement officers confiscated 50 sachets of cocaine and a digital weighing scale from the premises.
Ms Kanyathanat was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court, citing charges of public fraud and falsifying information in a computer system. Meanwhile, the two Nigerian individuals were found to have overstayed their visas for 1,401 days and 1,728 days, respectively.
Pol Lt Col Pitthaya Thepmuang, the inspector of the Tourist Police Sub-Division 3, revealed that the arresting team uncovered links to a romance scam syndicate involving foreign nationals from South Africa. The modus operandi of the gang entailed creating fraudulent Facebook accounts to deceive individuals in Thailand into transferring funds.
Further investigation identified Kanyathanat as an operative within the syndicate. Her responsibilities included withdrawing and transferring funds to bank accounts controlled by a Nigerian gang leader residing abroad, as per Pol Lt Col Pitthaya’s statement.
Numerous individuals fell victim to the scam perpetrated by the gang.
During interrogation, the Nigerian suspects confessed to their involvement in the romance scam syndicate. Additionally, they admitted to peddling cocaine to foreign tourists in Phuket as a means to generate supplementary income.
All suspects were subsequently handed over to the authorities at Thalang police station to initiate legal proceedings.
