Chinese detained in Bangkok hotel for 11 billion baht fraud
Immigration officers in Bangkok have detained a Chinese man at a luxury hotel in Ratchaprasong, who was evading fraud charges for embezzling billions of baht. The suspect had changed his identity and acquired Vanuatu nationality on March 22.
Officers of the Immigration Bureau have directed their units to enhance crime prevention efforts, particularly targeting illegal immigration and foreign nationals involved in criminal activities. This directive, issued in early March, focused on strengthening law enforcement and investigation.
The Commander of Immigration Division 1 instructed investigators to pursue leads on a Chinese national, identified as Zhang Wei (alias), believed to be hiding in central Bangkok. Acting on intelligence reports, they intensified surveillance and investigation.
The investigation revealed that the biometric data of Zhang matched another individual, Du Nan, a Vanuatu national. This led the team to suspect they were the same person. Monitoring his visa status, officials noted that Du Nan had failed to renew his visa by March 12.
Further investigation showed he had checked into a luxury hotel, prompting officers to set up discreet surveillance.
On March 21 at approximately 2.30pm, officers identified a man matching the description from their intelligence. Upon being approached, the suspect initially claimed he was not Chinese and that his passport was lost.
However, he later admitted to being Vanuatu national Du Nan and presented a photo of his Vanuatu passport. Checks confirmed his identity as 30 year old Du Nan, whose tourist visa had expired. He was charged with overstaying his visa and informed of his rights before being taken into custody.
Authorities expressed scepticism about the suspect’s claims regarding his lost passport. They coordinated with international law enforcement agencies to verify his identity, confirming he was indeed Zhang Wei, a Chinese national wanted for fraud after embezzling 2.4 billion yuan (approximately 11 billion baht) from a prominent construction company in Shandong province in China last year.
Biometric verification further confirmed his identity. The Immigration Bureau plans to notify relevant agencies for Zhang Wei’s prosecution, reported KhaoSod.
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