Foul play: Krabi cops rescue footballers from scam agent’s offside trap
Krabi Provincial Tourist Police officers swooped to help an Egyptian and a Yemeni football player after they were deceived by a scam agent who lured them to Thailand and defrauded them of 45,000 baht.
The victims, 26 year old Yemeni Majid and 25 year old Egyptian Ali, sought help from the Tourist Police after their mobile phone was stolen while it was being charged at the Ban Nai Rai Mosque in Krabi.
The two foreign nationals told the police that they had only one mobile phone left to contact their families and no money. They had been staying at the mosque, awaiting support from their families to return to their home countries.
Majid and Ali revealed to the police that they were football players and that an Egyptian scam agent stranded them in Thailand. The agent promised them positions at the Krabi Football Club, convincing them to travel to Thailand to join the team.
The two men met the agent in Bangkok, who then took them to Krabi. To secure their spots at Krabi FC, they paid the agent 45,000 baht in three instalments.
Unfortunately, after the final payment, they lost contact with the agent. When they contacted Krabi FC, they discovered that the club had not hired any foreign players and had no plans to do so. Realising they were scammed, they attempted to find a way back home.
The Egyptian and Yemeni men contacted their families for help and planned to stay at the mosque until assistance arrived. However, the last mobile phone they were using to communicate with their families was stolen.
Majid and Ali informed Thai officials that they were not the first victims of this scam. They discovered that at least three other Egyptian football players had fallen victim to the same trap.
Regarding the phone theft, the police identified the culprits as two Thai teenagers from the area. They are expected to be summoned for questioning and legal proceedings soon.
As for the scam agent, officers believe he is still in Thailand and planning to target more victims. The police are gathering additional information to issue an arrest warrant for fraud.
If convicted, the scam agent faces up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both, under Section 341 of the Criminal Law.
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