Six Thais arrested for exchanging fake US dollar banknotes worth Bt1.4m

By The Nation

 

FILE photo

 

Four women and two men were arrested Thursday for allegedly exchanging fake US dollar bank notes with a money changer in Nong Khai.

 

Police arrested the six suspects at a hotel in Nong Khai Thursday night and took them to Muang Nong Khai police station for questioning.

 

The six suspects were identified as Ruethai Arkhomkla, 34, from Bangkok, Chananchida Kuawicharn, 48, from Pathum Thani, Kulpassorn Rojanapongsa, 52, from Nakhon Sawan, Kingthong Saithong, 46, from Ayutthaya, Pichet Kanhasen, 38, from Surat Thani and Surachai Kitbamroong, 70, from Samut Prakan.

 

The arrest was made after Pitchayanan Saenchan, 23, a staff member of the Chang Thai Exchange (Nong Khai) filed a complaint with the police station at 6pm Wednesday, alleging the six had exchanged 477 fake US$100 notes at her shop inside the Nong Khai Shopping Complex at 11.48 am for Bt1.449 million.

 

Pitchayanan said the shop realised that the banknotes were fake when she tried to exchange them at a branch of the Kasikorn Bank in Muang district.

 

Police arrested Ruethai in front of an escalator in the hotel and she led police to the five other suspects who were staying in four rooms.

 

Police found another 20 fake $100 notes with them.

 

The suspects claimed that they did not know the US banknotes were fake. They said they pooled their money to buy the banknotes from a Laotian woman and later exchanged at the shop to make a profit.

 

Worawut Nualsaritkul, the owner of the exchange shop, said the fake banknotes looked real and it was difficult to detect that they were forged and urged money exchange shops to be more careful.

 

Worawut withdrew the fraud complaint against the six after they returned the money in full but charged them with using fake currency. They were released on bail on their own recognisance after posting Bt200,000 each.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376150

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-13

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9 minutes ago, webfact said:

The suspects claimed that they did not know the US banknotes were fake. They said they pooled their money to buy the banknotes from a Laotian woman and later exchanged at the shop to make a profit.

A likely story......

Thais scamming Thais what ever next ????

They posted a million baht. Where do the cops figure they got that money from?

As I understand it, those fakes are either Iranian or North Korean, printed with the finest equipment Russia and China can provide. Highly profitable and no risk for the counterfeiters.

 

 

4 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

As I understand it, those fakes are either Iranian or North Korean, printed with the finest equipment Russia and China can provide. Highly profitable and no risk for the counterfeiters.

 

 

if thats the best those two/four countries can do it shows you how good the American currency is when it comes to security.

1 hour ago, wombat said:

if thats the best those two/four countries can do it shows you how good the American currency is when it comes to security.

Well they dont pass them in the USA. Supposedly, they only siezed about $300 million in funnymoney in 2017 in the US. Its easier to pass them outside the USA for illicit transactions, especially drugs, which is why the Wa, for example, take a lot of gold instead of paper.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The six suspects were identified as Ruethai Arkhomkla, 34, from Bangkok, Chananchida Kuawicharn, 48, from Pathum Thani, Kulpassorn Rojanapongsa, 52, from Nakhon Sawan, Kingthong Saithong, 46, from Ayutthaya, Pichet Kanhasen, 38, from Surat Thani and Surachai Kitbamroong, 70, from Samut Prakan.

Claimed they didn't know the money was fake but just happened to be friends from all over Thailand ...?

7 hours ago, webfact said:

alleging the six had exchanged 477 fake US$100 notes at her shop inside the Nong Khai Shopping Complex at 11.48 am for Bt1.449 million.

A Thai walking into exchange 477 $100 banknotes ? About the same as a line a comedian would use instead of an English, a Scotsman and and Irishman walk into a bar.

17 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

A Thai walking into exchange 477 $100 banknotes ? About the same as a line a comedian would use instead of an English, a Scotsman and and Irishman walk into a bar.

An Englishman, Scotsman, Irishman and a Welshman walk into a bar. The Englishman introduces himself and says hello my name is George and i was born on St. Georges day. The welshman says my name is David and i was born on St. Davids day. The Scotsman says my name is Andrew and i was born on St. Andrews day. The Irish man says hello my name is pancake! 

21 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

As I understand it, those fakes are either Iranian or North Korean, printed with the finest equipment Russia and China can provide. Highly profitable and no risk for the counterfeiters.

 

 

Iran got their equipment from the USA while the Shah was in power. Don't know where the North Koreans got their equipment but they turn out excellent replicas.

6 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Iran got their equipment from the USA while the Shah was in power. Don't know where the North Koreans got their equipment but they turn out excellent replicas.

Those older printers are soooo unusable on the new bills though

11 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Those older printers are soooo unusable on the new bills though

You are right. That is one reason the Thai exchanges won't take some of the older series. 

Posted bail with US dollars ????