British fraudster nabbed in land scam at Bangkok airport
A British national was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport upon returning to Thailand, accused of orchestrating an elaborate property fraud worth nearly 20 million baht.
Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), led by Police Colonel Theeraphast Yangyuen and Police Lieutenant Colonel Woraphot Lalitjirakul, apprehended the 57 year old British man, Quentin (surname withheld) yesterday, January 15 under an outstanding warrant issued on December 24 last year.
The case centres on allegations that Quentin, formerly a director of a Pattaya-based company alongside his Thai wife, falsely reported the company’s land deed as lost. This false claim enabled him to obtain a replacement deed from the Land Department, despite the original deed being in his wife’s possession.
Police reports reveal Quentin used the fraudulent deed to forge company meeting documents and secretly sell all company shares, along with the property, to new buyers. The sale, conducted without the knowledge or consent of the original shareholders, reportedly earned Quentin close to 20 million baht.
The scam came to light when the original shareholders discovered strangers operating the business premises. Investigations with the Department of Business Development and the Land Department uncovered that the company’s registration documents and property ownership records had been altered without authorisation. A criminal complaint was promptly filed with the ECD.
Police had been monitoring Quentin’s movements and executed the arrest upon his return to Thailand, reported KhaoSod English.
“This case underscores growing concerns over property fraud involving foreign nationals in the country’s real estate sector.”
Quentin now faces charges for filing false police reports, causing officials to record fraudulent information, and forging documents. His arrest highlights the critical need for vigilance in Thailand’s property market to prevent similar schemes.
In related news, a woman was left in shock after losing over 6 million baht to a scam involving people impersonating officials from the Land Department. Despite her initial scepticism, the fraudsters managed to deceive her into installing a fake application, leading to the theft.
Latest Thailand News
