Russian arrested in Bangkok for 12 million baht investment scam
A Russian man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the elderly owner of a renowned Chinese-Thai herbal medicine company out of over 11 million baht in an elaborate investment scam.
The arrest came after cyber police launched a sting operation in response to a complaint filed by the 70 year old victim from Nakhon Pathom province. The victim said she had been tricked into investing in fake stock and trading schemes promoted through a fraudulent platform, losing nearly 12 million baht.
According to the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), 34 year old Pavel Sovin was apprehended at a luxury condominium in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area. Officers seized key evidence, including a mobile phone, four bank books, six ATM cards, and a passport.
The scam reportedly began in August when a caller, claiming to be a representative from “MIROX”, contacted the victim with investment offers promising high returns. The victim was directed to register on a website and make multiple fund transfers, which she believed were yielding visible profits as shown on the fake platform.
Over time, she was persuaded to make 23 transfers to seven different accounts. The scammer even came to her office in person to collect 1.5 million baht in cash.
After the platform became inaccessible, the victim grew suspicious and filed a report. Despite this, the perpetrator continued contacting her through chat and phone calls, trying to coax more money from her.
Working under the directive of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and National Police Chief Police General Kittirat Phanphet, the TCSD team set a trap by having the victim pretend to offer another one million baht. When the scammer declined to collect the cash in person, investigators traced him to the Sukhumvit condo and secured a search warrant.
Sovin initially denied all charges but was charged with multiple offences, including public fraud, falsifying computer data, participating in a criminal syndicate, and money laundering, reported Thairath.
The TCSD said that this arrest is part of a broader crackdown on online scams and call centre gangs, which are causing significant economic damage. Investigators are continuing efforts to track down Sovin’s accomplices and dismantle the criminal network behind the scam.
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