Man arrested for posing as monk in 1.8 million baht scam
Police say suspect evaded arrest for more than a decade
Police from the Crime Suppression Division apprehended a man accused of disguising himself as the abbot of a prominent temple to open bank accounts for a scam. This operation allowed a criminal gang to empty accounts of their funds.
Yesterday, on December 27, Police Major General Pattanasak Buphasuwan directed Police Colonel Thanawat Hinyokhin, Police Lieutenant Colonel Kitibadin Kimsea, and Police Captain Chanakan Burabhaga to arrest 54 year old Manop.
The arrest was made under an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court, warrant number 1472/2019, dated September 24, 2019. Manop was detained in Moo 1, Thung Krapang Hom subdistrict, Kamphaeng Saen district, Nakhon Pathom province.
The investigation began after police received a tip-off from a bank about a fraudulent scheme. A criminal group had allegedly hired Manop to shave his head and eyebrows, don a monk’s robe, and impersonate an abbot in Nakhon Pathom and Suphan Buri provinces.
The targets were abbots with substantial savings, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of baht. Manop would be photographed as proof of identity for a fake monk identification document. These counterfeit documents were then used to open new bank accounts, claiming the original passbooks were lost.
Trusting this pretense, bank staff allowed these accounts to be created. Once the accounts were set up, funds from the genuine accounts of the monks were transferred into the newly created accounts under Manop’s name, who then promptly withdrew the cash, draining the accounts. The total financial damage exceeded 1.8 million baht.
In interrogation, Manop confessed to his involvement. At the time, he was struggling financially, running a failing water filter business. Persuaded by two accomplices, he agreed to impersonate a monk for a fee of 20,000 baht.
He managed to evade capture for over a decade by living in hiding and working various jobs. Eventually, he was caught and charged with fraud, forgery and the use of forged documents, theft, and unlawful use of another person’s electronic card to input false information into a computer system that could harm the public.
In recent news, police in Ang Thong arrested a man impersonating a Buddhist monk who was soliciting donations while under the influence of drugs. The suspect, unable to prove his monkhood or perform basic chants, was found carrying donation envelopes and cash from unsuspecting locals.
Authorities charged him with impersonation and illegal drug use, highlighting ongoing concerns about criminals exploiting religious trust for personal gain.
This new case has been handed over to investigators from sub-division 5 of the Crime Suppression Division for further legal action, reported by KhaoSod.
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