Immigration officers allegedly extort Chinese residents with fake donation campaign
A housing development manager in Rayong called for an investigation into a group of men who introduced themselves as immigration police, demanding 2,000 baht charity donations from Chinese residents and stealing property from homes when occupants were away.
The manager, Thammaporn, told Channel 7 yesterday, August 12, that many Chinese nationals rent homes in the development and that some had reportedly been approached by the group claiming to be Immigration Bureau officers.
CCTV footage showed the group arriving at the housing development in a black pickup truck. Three men wearing uniforms resembling those of immigration officers got out and approached Chinese residents at their homes.
According to Thammaporn, the men encouraged residents to purchase charity tickets priced at 2,000 baht each. The manager did not explain how the men described the purpose of the fundraising campaign.
Most of the Chinese residents agreed to make the requested donation. However, Thammaporn alleged that the men also entered or took property from homes when residents were not present.
One Chinese resident has since filed a complaint with Nong Krap Police Station after reportedly losing old accessories from their home.
Payao, a leader in a nearby community, told the media that Thai residents and monks had also been approached by the group and pressured to purchase the charity tickets.
Payao further alleged that the men visited manufacturing plants employing Chinese nationals. The group reportedly waited outside the factories and approached Chinese workers as they finished their shifts, asking them to contribute to the charity campaign.
No police update on the investigation had been released at the time of the report, and the identities of the men involved have not been disclosed.
A similar case was reported in Phuket in December last year, when two Thai men were arrested after posing as police officers and using a fake donation campaign to extort money from foreign residents. The arrests followed a German family sharing CCTV footage of the alleged incident with police.
