Thai cops bust Chinese fraudster wanted by Interpol

Thai cops busted a Chinese fraudster wanted by Interpol in the country’s northeast region on Sunday. The Immigration Bureau’s deputy commissioner said the suspect is wanted on an arrest warrant in China and an Interpol warrant for public fraud.

The deputy commissioner, Pol Maj-General Phanthana Nutchanart, said immigration police arrested the suspect in the province of Maha Sarakham, in the Wapi Pathum district on Sunday morning.

Phanthana said the Immigration Bureau is processing charges against Liu for him to be deported.

The suspect, 54 year old Liu, is accused by the Chinese government of lending money at exorbitant interest rates and causing damages worth more than 110 million baht to Chinese nationals.

Phanthana said that Liu is also linked to a triad in Thailand that lends money at unusually high-interest rates to Chinese people, Nation Thailand reported.

There have been a number of incidents involving Chinese criminals hiding out in Thailand recently. On January 19, Chinese businessman Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant and 40 accomplices were indicted in Bangkok on Thursday on various charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering.

The charges ranged from association with multinational criminal gangs through drug trafficking and money laundering to illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Last month, police raided the former consulate of the Pacific island of Nauru in Bangkok. Inside officers found two Chinese men – both wanted by Beijing – forging passports for fellow nationals. But somehow the two managed to escape with the collusion of five officials from the Department of Special Investigations, nine police officers and a military sergeant.

The officials, along with a translator, received 10 million baht (US$245,000) from the suspects for their help. They were charged with bribery offences and abuse of power.

In October, a Chinese man had his finger cut off by a Chinese ransom gang that held him captive.