British man arrested for counterfeit euro scam in Phuket

Police in Phuket apprehended a British man for his involvement in a counterfeit euro exchange scam across various locations in the province.

The alleged suspect, 33 year old British national Tobias Drew was reportedly found in possession of a large sum of counterfeit currency and has been charged under Thai law.

A 50 year old Thai woman, Janjira Laowlang was the first to report the scam to the Sakoo Police Station on February 6. She reported that she had fallen victim to a foreigner who exchanged 1,000 euros for 37,850 baht, only to later discover that the bills were counterfeit.

The following day, at 3.15pm, authorities detained Drew and seized a substantial amount of counterfeit bills, including 89 counterfeit 200 euro bills, along with various other denominations of counterfeit currency.

Drew confessed to entering Thailand in December last year and meeting his accomplice, Ozeias Da Silva, at a condominium in Maikhao Subdistrict, Thalang District, Phuket. He admitted to exchanging cryptocurrency for counterfeit euros and subsequently using the money to carry out the fraudulent exchanges, reported KhaoSod English.

Following the incident, Da Silva fled the country, leaving the authorities with the task of tracking him down and bringing him to justice.

Drew has been charged with using counterfeit money and forgery under the Thai Penal Code, potentially facing up to 15 years in prison and a substantial fine. However, he has denied the accusations, foreshadowing a legal battle.

In related news, Thai authorities cracked down on a colossal counterfeit cosmetics ring involving a Chinese investor and the illicit sale of beauty products worth millions.

The Commissioner of the Police Consumer Protection Division, Police Lieutenant General Witthaya Sriprasertphap, along with relevant agencies, orchestrated a press conference on Monday, January 29 that marked the unravelling of a major illegal cosmetics empire. A warehouse in Lat Krabang, Bangkok, was found to house a stash of counterfeit beauty products destined for online platforms.