1.7 million baht fraudulent scheme uncovers chilling family tragedy: Thai police hunt suspects

Thai authorities are in pursuit of five individuals implicated in a fraudulent scheme that is connected to a tragic family incident in Samut Prakan. The gruesome event saw a debt-ridden man take the lives of his two children and wife before attempting suicide.

The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) uncovered transactional evidence connecting the 44 year old victim, Wipaporn Racha, to eight accounts owned by the five suspects. Wipaporn Racha was the wife of the 41 year old assailant, Sanit Dokmai. The fraudulent scheme funds deposited in these accounts were subsequently moved to a foreign country, according to Police General Sompong Chingduang, a special adviser to the Royal Thai Police.

He further stated that authorities are analysing security footage to identify the individuals who withdrew the funds. Simultaneously, they are working with banks to trace the transaction paths. Arrest warrants for the five suspects have been issued, each linked to the creation of the mule accounts as part of the fraudulent scheme.

The horrific incident happened in the family’s three-storey townhouse situated behind Wat Nam Daeng in the Bang Kaeo district. It was reported to local authorities around 1am on Monday. On arrival, the bodies of two boys aged nine and 13 were found alongside their mother, each bearing severe neck and body wounds. Sanit Dokmai survived his self-inflicted neck and wrist wounds and has since been hospitalised.

The unfortunate series of events began when Sanit Dokmai’s employer requested him to act as a loan guarantor for a car refinancing deal. However, the employer defaulted on the loan and declared bankruptcy, leading to a lawsuit against Sanit Dokmai. As a guarantor, he was left with a debt of approximately 600,000 baht, risking the loss of his house if he failed to repay.

In an attempt to clear the debt, Sanit Dokmai sought a small loan. His wife, aiming to assist, searched for a personal loan via social media, falling prey to the scam gang in the process. She hoped to secure a loan of around 100,000 baht but was deceived by the fraudsters, borrowing a total of 1.7 million baht from various sources, and then transferring the funds to the scammers.

Following this, creditors began to pressurise the family for repayment daily. The financial strain from the scam is believed to have been the tipping point that led to the tragic event, according to the police.

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