Chinese crypto scam suspect arrested in Samut Prakan after fleeing China
Thai immigration investigators said today, February 19, that they arrested a Chinese national in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, following information that he had been using Thailand as a hideout while wanted overseas as a fraud suspect.
The arrest was announced as part of an operation by Immigration Bureau Division 3 investigators, who said they had been instructed to intensify efforts against transnational criminals believed to be staying in Thailand.
The suspect was identified as Tuan Jianlei, also known as “Boss Tuan”. Investigators said he became widely known in China in 2024 after allegedly being linked to a technology-related fraud involving a fake cryptocurrency trading platform called BHE Exchange.
The platform reportedly issued a token called DDO and promised investors a 6% annual return. It also promoted claims that the token’s value would rise 20 times within 10 years, backed by price charts presented as proof of steady growth.
Investigators said the application was later shut down and the funds were taken, after which the suspect left China.
The case has about 20,000 victims, with losses estimated at more than US$128 million, or about 4.5 billion baht. Police said Chinese authorities approved an arrest warrant for the suspect on a fraud charge.
According to Thai immigration police, the suspect fled China and entered Thailand in 2024, frequently changing locations and keeping a low profile to avoid detection.
Investigators said they spent a month tracking his movements and links before confirming he was staying inside a luxury village housing estate in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan. Officers then moved in to arrest him.
Police informed him that his permission to stay in Thailand had been revoked, citing immigration law provisions related to prohibited persons. He was then transferred to immigration investigators for detention while arrangements are made to send him back to China to face legal proceedings.
Similarly, back in October last year, a Portuguese man was arrested in Bangkok after allegedly running a massive cryptocurrency and credit card scam across Europe and Asia. The Portuguese national, dubbed the “crypto kingpin” in Portuguese media, was apprehended at a luxury shopping mall on Rama I Road after Thai immigration officers tracked him down following a tip-off from a fellow tourist.
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