CIB nabs 20 year old man in Bangkok for major mule account fraud
A young man was arrested yesterday, January 20, in Bangkok after police linked him to a mule account scam involving more than 2.3 million baht in losses, with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) carrying out the arrest.
The suspect, identified as 20 year old Arthit, was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Nong Khai Provincial Court on August 22 last year. He was apprehended along Kanchanaphisek Road while reportedly travelling in the direction of Bang Na.
According to the investigation, the case originated from a report filed on January 17, when a victim received a phone call from someone claiming to be from a major mobile network provider. The caller alleged that the victim’s personal information had been used to open a bank account and said an officer would soon follow up.
Later, the victim received another call from a person claiming to be a police officer from Hat Yai Police Station, accusing the victim of being linked to mule accounts used for criminal purposes.
The caller convinced the victim to transfer money for a supposed account inspection, promising the funds would be returned if no wrongdoing was found. The money was sent to a bank account under Arthit’s name. Once the transfer was completed, all communication stopped, and the victim realised they had been scammed.
Further investigation revealed that Arthit’s account had been used in multiple fraud cases and served as a destination for large amounts of money from scam victims. Police estimated the total damages at around 2.3 million baht, leading to the warrant and subsequent arrest.
During questioning, Arthit reportedly confessed to the allegations. He claimed that an unidentified man approached him in the Nong Chok area and offered him a general labour job with a 2,000 baht payment. He was then taken to open several bank accounts, but did not retain the passbooks or ATM cards.
Arthit further stated that he was later transported across the border to Cambodia via a forested route. While there, a group of individuals had him undergo multiple facial scans, which were reportedly linked to transactions worth several hundred thousand baht, although he said he did not know the end use or specific details of these transactions.
He claimed to have received only two 1,000 baht bills in cash before being sent back to Thailand, where he was eventually apprehended. Dailynews reported that police have transferred Arthit to Tha Bo Police Station in Nong Khai province for further legal proceedings.
In similar news, police arrested a Thai transwoman in Nakhon Ratchasima province over multiple cases involving mule accounts, fraud, and blackmail linked to explicit videos obtained through virtual sex.
