Portuguese crypto scammer arrested in Bangkok mall sting
Immigration officers tracked suspect to shopping centre after tip-off
A Portuguese man was arrested in Bangkok after allegedly running a massive cryptocurrency and credit card scam across Europe and Asia, police confirmed.
The Portuguese national 39 year old Carlos Laposo, dubbed the “crypto kingpin” in Portuguese media, was apprehended at a luxury shopping mall on Rama I Road after Thai immigration officers tracked him down following a tip-off from a fellow tourist.
The arrest followed an order from Immigration Bureau chief Police Lieutenant General Panumas Boonyalak, who launched an investigation into reports that Laposo had resurfaced in Bangkok.
Working with biometric data and media reports from Portugal, police matched Laposo’s identity using facial recognition technology.
Originally entering Thailand on a tourist visa in 2023, Laposo became a wanted man after scamming victims in Bangkok with fake Bitcoin investment schemes, racking up over 1 million baht in damages. However, an arrest warrant was later withdrawn, allowing him to vanish into southern Thailand without a trace.
For nearly two years, Laposo evaded detection, never renewing his visa or declaring his residence. That changed yesterday, October 2, when a Portuguese tourist called the police, claiming to have seen the fugitive near a central Bangkok shopping mall.
A team of more than 10 undercover officers combed the area for over five hours. They eventually found a man matching the description looking tense and glued to his phone.
After approaching and requesting his passport, officers discovered that his visa had expired in 2023. He confessed to overstaying and was immediately detained.
Laposo now faces charges of overstaying his visa, but that’s just the beginning. A deeper investigation, coordinated with Interpol, revealed an extensive criminal history spanning several countries.
Officers say Laposo’s fraudulent empire involved cryptocurrency scams, credit card fraud, and passport forgery, leaving a trail of victims across Europe and Asia.
According to Portuguese media reports, the total damage from his schemes is estimated at over 500 million euros (approximately 19 billion baht), much of it hidden in Swiss bank accounts, reported Matichon.
Laposo will be prosecuted in Thailand and placed on the immigration blacklist before being deported back to Portugal.
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