Authorities in Thailand have detained two Nigerian men and a Thai woman in Phuket’s Thalang district due to their suspected involvement in a romance scam.
Reports from foreign news outlet, Phuket Express, revealed that a raid was carried out on February 8, 2024, at a residence in the Phatcharee Thalang housing estate, resulting in the arrest of 32-year-old Thai woman, Kanyathanat Thotsatham, and the Nigerians, whose identities were not disclosed by officials.
Along with the arrests, law enforcement confiscated 50 sachets of cocaine and a digital balance from the property. Ms. Kanyathanat had an outstanding arrest warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court for offenses related to public fraud and inputting false information into a computer system.
Investigations uncovered that the two Nigerian men had overstayed their visas, with durations of 1,401 days and 1,728 days, respectively.
Inspector Pol Lt Col Pitthaya Thepmuang of the Tourist Police Sub-Division 3 explained that the arrested individuals were part of a romance scam ring, involving foreign nationals, particularly from South Africa.
The scam entailed the creation of fake Facebook accounts to deceive individuals in Thailand into making monetary transfers.
Further investigations identified Kanyathanat as an accomplice within the gang, responsible for withdrawing and transferring funds to the bank accounts of a Nigerian ringleader residing abroad.
This operation resulted in numerous individuals falling victim to the scam.
During interrogation, the Nigerian men admitted to their involvement in the romance scam and confessed to selling cocaine to foreign tourists in Phuket as an additional source of income.
All suspects have been handed over to the Thalang police station for legal proceedings.