Religious fraud: Police crackdown on Thai online racket dealing in bogus artefacts

In a recent development regarding religious fraud artefact dealings, Thai police apprehended a member of an online racket. This syndicate, formerly led by a notable monk connoisseur branded as Pete Tha Prachan, had been noted for tricking unsuspecting victims into leasing Buddha statues and religious amulets, only to disappear without delivering the promised goods.

Thai law enforcement investigators, under the jurisdiction of the cybercrime division, had their eyes set on the religious fraud activities carried out by the gang for a while now. The leader of the alleged racket, 37 year old Decho, was arrested following a warrant against him, dating back to July 7, on the grounds of swindling the public and promoting false information using computerised systems.

Police said…

“It is learned that last month, the police from the cybercrime division arrested Ranariddh, or Pete Tha Prachan, a famous monk connoisseur, who operates Facebook pages named Pete Tha Prachan and the page Narutham Moradothai Sap Anek’, and who posts religious artefacts, Buddha statues, and amulets for rent.”

While the suspects attracted interested customers with posts online, they broke their agreement once a payment had been made, failing to deliver the religious items they advertised. The criminal investigation had been progressing, enabling the authorities to identify Decho as another participant in this illegal enterprise.

A background check revealed that from 2018 until the present day, Decho had a history of being arrested on nine separate occasions for similar charges. Despite multiple arrests, he continued his fraudulent activities relentlessly, reported KhaoSod. Police said…

“After his release, he continuously committed similar crimes. So, the officials collected evidence and followed up on the arrest as mentioned.”

During the interrogation, Decho admitted to colluding with Ranariddh in defrauding victims under the guise of leasing Buddha statues.

In a concerning incident, an elderly man posing as a religious leader has been arrested for assaulting a teenager in Phuket.

The man allegedly gained the trust of the victim through planned manipulation, only to exploit her vulnerability by forcefully engaging in inappropriate behaviour.

This distressing incident sheds light on the increasing occurrence of religious scams in Thailand, raising serious concerns about the safety of individuals. Read more about the details of this case HERE.