Thai model caught in billion baht cryptocurrency scams and money laundering bust
Royal Thai Police swooped on 30 targets, capturing an illicit Chinese network involved in cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, and money laundering. The operation, led by Police Colonel Siriwat Deephor, Director of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), and his team of over 200 officers, resulted in the arrest of the infamous model, known as Kiki Maxim, and the seizure of almost a billion baht in assets.
The operation, executed at 6am today, targeted a notorious Chinese gang collaborating with Thai and other foreign nationals. They were implicated in digital money investment scams, romance scams, and money laundering schemes across 30 sites in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Udon Thani.
The primary target was a posh village on Krungthep Kreetha Road in Bangkok, where 12 luxurious residences, each valued at around 50 million baht, were seized. Four more upscale villages in the same area were also scrutinised. The seized properties were believed to be purchased with proceeds from criminal activities, facilitated by a law firm owned by a Chinese national.
Among the 14 people for whom arrest warrants were issued, Chakrina, or Kiki Maxim, a well-known model, was included. The raid led to her apprehension, along with several other accomplices. Luxury homes and vehicles were seized during the operation.
This raid followed an eight-month-long investigation by the AMLO into the criminal gang, following reports of a romance scam duping young Thai women into investing in cryptocurrencies. The case was first reported to Samrong Nuea Police Station in Samut Prakan Province, reported KhaoSod.
The investigation revealed that the criminals had moved money through multiple layers before converting it back into electronic money in Thai baht. This laundered money was then used to purchase luxury homes and condos in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, to sell them to Chinese buyers. The financial trail indicated cash and digital money transactions amounting to billions of baht.
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