Thai arrested for allegedly scamming 3 women out of 212,000 baht 9 years ago
PHOTO: Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn, in his capacity as head of Thailand Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression, at the press conference announcing the arrest
A 60 year old Thai man is now in custody in Bangkok’s Khlong Sam Wa district after allegedly duping three women out of 212,000 baht with a false promise of jobs abroad nearly a decade ago.
Suthep Phuhom’s arrest came after the Thailand Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression had received the case file on February 28 to hunt for the fugitive before the case’s 10 year statute of limitations was up.
Suthep was accused of luring three women with a false promise of jobs in Australia in 2010, resulting in the people in question borrowing money – 60,000, 76,000 and 76,000 baht, plus interest, a total of 212,000 baht for Thai traditional-massage training fees and travel expenses.
Although they underwent the massage course, the three never travelled to work in Australia as promised, and they were then unable to contact Suthep.
Realising they had been duped, they filed a compliant with Min Buri police that year, resulting in Min Buri Court issuing three arrest warrants against Suthep over fraud charges.
After his arrest in Soi Mitmaitree last week, Suthep, denying the charges, told police that he used to work for a tour company and that his Thai national ID card may have been stolen for use in the crime.
SOURCE: The Nation
