Dutch national arrested in Bangkok for US$55,000 gold scam
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau announced on Tuesday, January 14, the arrest of a 43 year old Dutch national for allegedly organising a gold scam in Bangkok.
The suspect, named Ndille, is accused of deceiving customers by selling counterfeit gold pellets, claiming they were smuggled tax-free from Africa and offering them at below-market prices.
Investigations uncovered that the suspect employed a sophisticated method, initially providing genuine gold samples to win trust before switching to fake gold during transactions. Victims were persuaded to make payments in US dollars, with typical transactions amounting to around US$55,000 (approximately 1.9 million baht).
Police tracked the suspect to a hotel in the Watthana district, where they discovered 5 kilogrammes of fake gold alongside smaller bags containing genuine and counterfeit samples. Foreign currencies totalling approximately 117,600 baht were also seized. Evidence retrieved from the suspect’s phone indicated ongoing negotiations with multiple victims via WhatsApp.
The arrest followed a report from one victim who became suspicious during a transaction at a shopping mall in the Phra Nakhon district. Immigration officials have since revoked Ndille’s visa, citing his fraudulent actions as damaging to Thailand’s reputation, and are making preparations for his deportation, reported The Pattaya News.
Efforts are ongoing to locate accomplices and assist victims.
In a similar case, two Liberian nationals have been detained in connection with a gold-selling scam in Bangkok that resulted in the theft of US$90,000, equivalent to around 3 million baht, from a Thai businessman. The scam involved swapping counterfeit banknotes for genuine ones. The duo was apprehended while walking on Udomsuk Road in Bangkok’s Bang Na district late on January 4.
In October last year, over 500 victims accused a social media influencer of operating a gold scam that resulted in losses exceeding 85 million baht. The influencer allegedly lured victims through livestream promotions offering gold at significantly reduced prices.
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