Bangkok: A key achievement of the Anutin government has emerged with the Civil Court's order to seize 13 billion baht from a notorious scammer gang led by "Yim Liak, Ben Smith, Chen Chih, and Kok An," along with their accomplices.
According to Thai News Agency, the announcement of this significant milestone coincides with the formation of Anutin's second government. The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), under the guidance of Secretary-General Thepsu Bovornchotidara, submitted case files to the Special Cases Division of the Office of the Attorney General. This submission was aimed at filing a petition for asset forfeiture in four key scam-related cases, with a total value of approximately 13,074 million baht. The Civil Court, after reviewing evidence from public prosecutors, found sufficient grounds to suspect the assets were linked to criminal activities.
In the first case, involving Ms. Taengthai, Mr. Leak Yim, Ms. Warinya, Mr. Smith Ben, and Ms. Katriya, the Court registered it as case number 31/2569. A warrant was issued on February 26, 2026, to temporarily seize assets totaling about 12,123 million baht.
The second case, involving Mr. Chen Zhi, was accepted as case number F 25/2569. A warrant was issued on February 25, 2569, for the temporary seizure of assets amounting to 345 million baht.
The third case, involving Mr. Kok Han, was registered as case number F 29/2569. On February 25, 2023, the court ordered the temporary seizure of assets valued at approximately 560 million baht.
The fourth case, involving Mr. Uea Angkoon, was accepted as case number F 20/2560. On February 24, 2016, a notice was issued for the temporary seizure of assets totaling around 46 million baht.
If the seized assets are deemed unsuitable for retention or burdensome for the government, the AMLO Secretary-General may order them to be auctioned, with proceeds held as compensation. This action aligns with Section 57, paragraph two, of the Anti-Money Laundering Act B.E. 2542 (1999). Should there be victims in these cases, AMLO will gather necessary evidence to facilitate compensation instead of state forfeiture.