22-6-2023 (BANGKOK) The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) swiftly took action to prevent an alleged online scammer from fleeing the country at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday (June 20).
According to Pol Lt Gen Amnat Tripoj, deputy chief of CCIB, Chinese national Yuan Jian is believed to be connected to a criminal gang comprising around 50 members, which is accused of scamming over 400 individuals through online loan service websites. During a press conference on Wednesday, Lt Gen Amnat provided details about the case.
The crackdown on the gang began in late April when the police initiated an investigation into 52 individuals associated with the fraudulent websites. These websites enticed victims with the promise of substantial loans at low interest rates through online advertisements and SMS messages.
“After the victims accepted the loan, they were instructed to transfer a fee and an advance installment payment to the suspects’ accounts. However, none of them ever received the promised loans,” explained Lt Gen Amnat.
To date, the CCIB has apprehended 37 suspects, the majority of whom are Chinese nationals. The investigation into the financial trail led to the arrest of Yuan Jian at the airport on Tuesday. Additionally, three condominium units in Bangkok, which were allegedly linked to members of the gang, were searched.
Lt Gen Amnat stated that the CCIB is collaborating with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to seize assets discovered in the condominiums. These assets, valued at over 100 million baht, include laptop computers, luxury watches, branded products, and bank passbooks showing deposits amounting to 2 million baht.
Authorities suspect that Yuan Jian’s husband, Hou Jinsuo, also a Chinese national, has fled to Singapore along with four other suspects. Yuan Jian reportedly confessed that after receiving money from the victims, she and her husband were responsible for converting the funds into digital coins and selling them at lower prices to attract buyers.
