Police Bust Nigerian Romance Scam Gang in Luxury Condos

Matichon•General•2d ago

Reader Briefing

Thai police have dismantled a romance scam operation run by Nigerian nationals who were using student visas and luxury riverside condominiums to target victims through various mobile applications.

•Police arrested six Nigerian nationals involved in a romance scam operation.
•The suspects were operating from luxury condominiums in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
•They utilized student visas and defrauded victims through mobile apps, employing elaborate chat scripts and AI-generated faces.
•The operation was uncovered during a police investigation into drug trafficking networks.

Overview

•On May 22, 2024, Police initiated an operation after receiving information about a network of foreign nationals involved in illicit activities.
•Police raided three rooms in a luxury condominium in the Sanam Nam area, Nonthaburi.
•Six Nigerian suspects were arrested for overstaying their visas and operating as an illegal syndicate.
•The investigation stemmed from the intelligence gathered during a prior arrest of a Nigerian cocaine trafficking kingpin named 'Patrick'.
•The suspects were using student visas but displayed unusually high financial activity and were observed congregating without engaging in work or study.
•Police seized 18 mobile phones, 3 laptops, and 3 bank books, finding evidence of romance scams and AI face generation.
•The suspects used fake profiles of attractive foreign men (pilots, soldiers, doctors) to build romantic relationships with victims, primarily older Thai women.
•The suspects confessed to all charges during the initial interrogation.

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Key Entities

Person

Police General Kittirath Phanpet(พล.ต.อ.กิตติ์รัฐ พันธุ์เพ็ชร์)

Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Police who ordered the operation.

Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonksom(พล.ต.ท.สยาม บุญสม)

Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau involved in the investigation.

Police Major General Teeradet Thamsuthit(พล.ต.ต. ธีรเดช ธรรมสุธีร์)

Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, responsible for drug suppression and expanding investigations.

Mr. Denis(Mr.DENIS)