The Royal Thai Police have arrested a 26-year-old Malaysian man suspected of impersonating a government officer to defraud victims of more than 3.3 million baht (approximately RM426,000).
Metropolitan Police Division 2 Chief Major General Kiattikul Sonthanan said the suspect, identified as Tan from Sabah, was apprehended in Don Mueang district under an arrest warrant issued by the Thonburi Criminal Court on November 7 for fraud and impersonation.
Police arrested Tan last Friday at a hotel on Soi Saranakhom 3 in Don Mueang. During the arrest, officers seized the clothes he wore during the crime, a black backpack, two mobile phones, an empty AIS SIM card envelope, four unused Singapore SIM cards, one blank SIM card, and three foreign debit cards.
The arrest followed a police report lodged by a 70-year-old victim who said he received a call from someone pretending to be a police officer from Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station. The caller claimed the victim’s bank account was linked to mule account activities and money laundering.
The suspect then sent fake documents and video-called the victim to discuss his assets before instructing him to prepare cash and valuables for “inspection.”
Believing the ruse, the victim withdrew his savings, sold personal belongings, and handed over a total of 3.3 million baht to the suspect. He only filed a police report after realizing the money was never returned as promised.
Investigators from Don Mueang are now working with Thung Khru police to expand the probe and track down other members of the fraud syndicate.
