Bangkok: Ekanit Nitithanprapas, the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, has clarified a recently leaked photo showing him with Ben Smith, stating that it dates back five years and that there was no relationship between them. Ekanit explained that the image, which depicts him exchanging business cards with Smith, was taken during his time as a lecturer at the Royal Thai Police Executive Course, well before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that the event involved meeting numerous individuals, including Smith, after which they did not maintain contact.

According to Thai News Agency, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has been conducting reviews of cases related to technology crimes, particularly those involving scammers and hybrid scams connected to transnational criminal organizations. As part of this effort, AMLO has decided to seize and freeze 289 assets, collectively valued at over 10.165 billion baht. These assets are linked to four major cases, with networks involving Ben Smith and Ms. Tangthai having over 9 billion baht worth of assets seized due to their association with a call center gang. This development has led to the circulation of the image on social media, purportedly for political purposes.