2 Swedish men arrested in Pattaya in 50 million baht call centre scam
Officers from the Immigration Bureau arrested two Swedish men in a rented room in Pattaya yesterday, October 29, after they fled legal punishment for a call centre scam operation and sought to hide in Thailand.
Immigration officers held a press conference at their headquarters in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok, yesterday to announce the successful arrest of the two Swedish call centre scammers, 24 year old John and 25 year old Vladis.
The arrests were made after Division 3 of the Immigration Bureau was alerted by Swedish officials about the escape of the two men. The suspects reportedly operated a call centre scam to defraud both Swedish and foreign victims in Sweden.
The two men are accused of approaching victims by phone and tricking them into investing in fraudulent businesses, causing damages amounting to over 50 million baht. They subsequently fled from prosecution and hid in Pattaya.
The Swedish men were also found to violate Thai immigration laws by overstaying their visas. The duration of their overstay was not disclosed. They will face penalties for the overstay before being transferred back to Sweden for further legal proceedings regarding the scam operation.
At the same press conference, Thai immigration officials reported three other successful cases involving illegal foreigners in Thailand. These included the arrest of a South Korean drug dealer in Pattaya, the arrest of five Cambodian and Burmese scammers, and the arrest of a Russian man found in possession of multiple firearms and ammunition.
In a related incident in June, police arrested a Swedish man in Pattaya for stealing two motorcycles from locals in the area. He reportedly stole the first vehicle from outside a kratom shop but abandoned it after being chased. He then stole another motorcycle, which he subsequently crashed.
The Swedish thief suffered injuries in the crash and sought assistance from a hotel security guard near the scene, claiming he was attacked by a gang. However, the guard found his story suspicious and reported the matter to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
