Thai police arrest two for defrauding women of 189,700 baht

Thai police apprehended two suspects in Nakhon Pathom for allegedly defrauding two women out of 189,700 baht under the pretence of providing business investment funds. The suspects, identified as 44 year old Tum Kaewmaneechot, and 27 year old Sarin, were detained by the Crime Suppression Division.

Police Colonel Yosawat Kaewsuebthanyanit from Khon Kaen Police Station disclosed that the arrests followed a complaint lodged on September 17 by two female victims. They reported that Tumm and Sarin had contacted them under the guise of seeking companionship and gradually gained their trust.

The men promised to provide business funding but demanded the women’s OTP (One-Time Password) codes as a prerequisite. Trusting the suspects, the women handed over the OTP codes, only to find themselves defrauded of a total of 189,700 baht (US$5,850) instead of receiving the promised funds.

The investigation led the police to gather substantial evidence and obtain arrest warrants from the Khon Kaen Provincial Court. The warrants were executed in coordination with various law enforcement agencies, culminating in the arrest of the suspects in their residence in Nakhon Pathom. The suspects were subsequently transferred to Khon Kaen Police Station for further investigation and legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.

Upon interrogation, Sarin confessed to the crime. He admitted that Tumm had hired him to open bank accounts and withdraw money transferred by the victims, for which he was paid between 500 and 1,000 baht (US$15 and US$30) per transaction. Further examination of Tumm’s bank accounts revealed daily transactions ranging from US$10,000 to 20,000 baht (US$310 to US$615), with a cumulative turnover amounting to several million baht.

In related news, frustrated by the police’s lack of action, a Thai couple in Bangkok sought assistance from an official at the Ministry of Public Health. They shared their ordeal involving an employee of their dowry rental business and gold shop, who had swindled over 11 million baht from them.