Bangkok: The Immigration Bureau has announced the arrest of Chinese nationals hiding in Thailand, highlighting two significant cases involving criminal activities.
According to Thai News Agency, the first case involves a Chinese mafia gang that defrauded financial institutions in China of over 2.8 billion baht. Authorities pursued the suspects who had been hiding in Thailand, leading to their apprehension and deportation to China, thereby halting their transnational crime operations.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Panthana Nuchnarat, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, along with other high-ranking officials, shared details of the operation. The investigation, initiated by Chinese authorities in February 2024, uncovered that the suspects had falsely presented themselves as operating a high-performing industry to secure loans from various financial institutions worth 560 million yuan, with additional interest liabilities. The fraudulent activities dated back to March 2023. Arrest warrants were issued, capturing some suspects in China while others fled to Thailand. Recent operations in Thailand led to the arrest and deportation of three of these individuals, with the final suspect being apprehended in Pattaya, Chonburi Province, after residing illegally on an expired tourist visa.
The second case revealed the deception of over 120 Chinese nationals lured into working for call center gangs. Chinese authorities coordinated with Thai officials to investigate and track down three remaining suspects who had fled to Thailand. These call center operations tricked victims into believing they could open foreign credit cards and withdraw cash without repayments. The victims were then transported to the Yunnan Province border and coerced into working for the gangs. The losses amounted to over 1 million yuan. Thai authorities located the suspects living in different areas of Bangkok, leading to their arrest and pending deportation.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Panop emphasized that these operations align with government policy to prevent foreign suspects from using Thailand as a safe haven. Arresting and deporting these individuals back to their home countries is seen as a crucial step in breaking the cycle of crime and ensuring they do not re-offend within Thailand.