‘Land of Smiles’ fast becoming ‘Land of Russian Crime’

[snoop1130]

 

Maybe Thailand should rebrand its Land of Smiles moniker to the Land of Russian Crime after yet another Russian man was nabbed for criminal activity. Yesterday, a 36 year old Russian national added his name to a catalogue of former Soviet block criminals arrested for reportedly operating illegal activities.

 

Russian Ibragim Gaitukiev was arrested for allegedly running an unauthorised cryptocurrency exchange service on the popular tourist destination, Koh Pha Ngan, in Surat Thani, Thailand.

 

The location of his arrest was a property on Sri Thanu Beach in the Koh Pha Ngan district, as disclosed by Police Major General Sermphan Sirikhong, the head of the Surat Thani province.

 

This arrest resulted from an investigation focused on the en-samui.bitmonyekb.com website, which had been promoting the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan districts. The contact phone and WhatsApp numbers listed on the website were traced back to the bank accounts of Gaitukiev and another foreign individual, Maksim Variukhin, according to the province’s head of police.

 

The investigating officers discovered that the two foreign individuals served as executives for OM 118 Co, a company located on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani. The company operated from a house on Sri Thanu beach, a well-known tourist hotspot. This building also housed a cannabis shop known as Plantasia cannabis collective, with a noticeable Bitcoin sign placed at the front, as per police reports.

 

Investigators hypothesised that this shop was the advertised location for the cryptocurrency exchange. Following this lead, they obtained a court-approved warrant from the Samui Provincial Court on a Wednesday to search the premises. The search was conducted the next day.

 

Gaitukiev was present during the search and identified himself as the owner of the shop. While the search of the cannabis shop revealed no illegal items, there were advertisements for cryptocurrency exchange within the premises.

 

Gaitukiev was consequently arrested for operating an illegal cryptocurrency exchange. Upon questioning, he reportedly confessed that he and Variukhin had been offering digital currency services to tourists.

 

Following his arrest, Gaitukiev was charged and moved to the Koh Pha Ngan Police Station for further legal proceedings. The police did not disclose any additional information regarding the other foreign national, Variukhin.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture of Russian man, Ibragim Gaitukiev, courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-05

 

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[JackGats]

"Cryptocurrency exchange". Does that mean "selling Bitcoins"? Is selling Bitcoins illegal?

[NativeBob]

somebody snitched

now extortion of very very big sum of money will commence

[NativeBob]

2 minutes ago, JackGats said:

"Cryptocurrency exchange". Does that mean "selling Bitcoins"? Is selling Bitcoins illegal?

anything related to financial services w/o license is illegal.

but they found nothing - only ads. 

[Rampant Rabbit]

Christ on a  bike thats terrible  as  bad if  not worse than hacking off a mans  arm when being told you cant smoke, dunno what the worlds coming to............no perspective thats for sure

[ABCDBKK]

why would anyone need a cryptocurrency exchange operating out of a weed shop on a tiny island like Koh Pha Ngan? Sounds more like a front for illegal money laundering and/or crypto scams. 

Edited April 5 by ABCDBKK

[JackGats]

10 minutes ago, ABCDBKK said:

why would anyone need a cryptocurrency exchange operating out of a weed shop on a tiny island like Koh Pha Ngan? Sounds more like a front for illegal money laundering and/or crypto scams. 

Well, I guess Russians prefer to exchange Bitcoins rather than Rubles right now.

[Hamus Yaigh]

>fast becoming ‘Land of Russian Crime’ 

 

Never saw that coming? #rhetorical

[NativeBob]

22 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Well, I guess Russians prefer to exchange Bitcoins rather than Rubles right now.

Tether USDT TRC20, not Bitcoins

Transfer happens in seconds globally - very convenient way of moving money.
On Binance platform there are P2P offers up to few millions THB
cool? Why police arrested some cheap-cheap tourist while this ?

Edited April 5 by NativeBob

[ChipButty]

It's like Thailand has not got a clue what is going on, The Russians are running rings around them 

Edited April 5 by ChipButty

[jaideedave]

38 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

It's like Thailand has not got a clue what is going on, The Russians are running rings around them 

Correct, there are so many crooked LOS officials that facilitate this BS they have to be careful who they finger. It appears the Boris connection is on the radar screen, finally 555

[swissie]

Usually, "refugees" have limited financial resources. Running out of money, not allowed to work. Next step: Turning to criminal offences to make ends meet. The same thing happens in Europe and the US. Anything new?

[Dan747]

Karma at work-Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)-approved a unilateral and temporary tourist visa exemption scheme for holders of Russian passports or travel documents, entering the Kingdom of Thailand from 1 November 2023 to 30 April 2024, to be able to stay in Thailand for a period not exceeding 90 days.

[Rampant Rabbit]

9 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

>fast becoming ‘Land of Russian Crime’ 

 

Never saw that coming? #rhetorical

especially as there at 2.5 million  each, all of a sudden there wealth has increased  massively

[spidermike007]

A Russian man I know who I was speaking to about how the Russians are supporting themselves here in Thailand said that 90% of all Russians earning over $60,000 a year (which is likely the threshold that would be required for them to spend some time overseas) are involved in crime. 90%!

So if they're involved in crime at home what do the authorities hear think that they will be doing in Thailand?

 

Think about it guys! You invite anyone and everyone in and what are you going to have? Havoc that's what you're going to have. 

 

Cossack style havoc. 

Edited April 5 by spidermike007

[ChipButty]

News desk here is slow, there was another big bust in Phuket at a Russian owned restaurant, 

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Maybe Thailand should rebrand its Land of Smiles moniker to the Land of Russian Crime after yet another Russian man was nabbed for criminal activity. Yesterday, a 36 year old Russian national added his name to a catalogue of former Soviet block criminals arrested for reportedly operating illegal activities.

Everyone in the west has a good idea what Russians are like...

Phipat on the other hand welcomed them in with open arms so that his Sandbox scheme would look like a success story..

Reap what you sow.

[NemoH]

Interesting.

cryto exchange = money exchange = money laundering 🤣🤣👍

interesting way to avoid being licensed.

More like operating an underground banking system..🧐

[Jack West Jr]

Ah...those Russians . Bad guys out, good guys in ??? What a joke ! 

[Expat Tom]

The Russian presence can be directly linked to some of the greedy people running this country. Just for fun, visit 

"Transparency.org" and pursue the  "The World Corruption Index". You might find it interesting to see where Russia, Thailand and your home country ranks. Draw your own conclusions. 

[pomchop]

next up....extend the 90 day visa free  idiotic plan to one year stay for russians....5 year visa free if can prove they are members of russian mafia.....otherwise just let them do anything they want and not pretend that there are no bribes being paid...

 

 

[eumenades]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

A Russian man I know who I was speaking to about how the Russians are supporting themselves here in Thailand said that 90% of all Russians earning over $60,000 a year (which is likely the threshold that would be required for them to spend some time overseas) are involved in crime. 90%!

So if they're involved in crime at home what do the authorities hear think that they will be doing in Thailand?

 

Think about it guys! You invite anyone and everyone in and what are you going to have? Havoc that's what you're going to have. 

 

Cossack style havoc. 

"In the Soviet era, all enterprises belonged to the state and were supposed to be equally owned among all citizens. Privatization transferred much of this wealth into the hands of a few, making them immensely rich. Stocks of the state-owned enterprises were issued, and these new publicly traded companies were quickly handed to the members of Nomenklatura or known criminal bosses. During the same period, violent criminal groups often took over state enterprises, clearing the way by assassinations or extortion. Corruption of government officials became an everyday rule of life. Under the government's cover, outrageous financial manipulations were performed that enriched the narrow group of individuals at key positions of the business and government mafia." (Source : Wikipedia)

 

So , our Thai klepto-capitalist Russians were born around that time, growing up in an atmosphere of free-for-all trading and an incompetent police force. Putin's deal became 'support me and I'll leave you alone'. Time for our Thai police force to get acquainted with basic Russian history?

[brianthainess]

12 hours ago, ChipButty said:

It's like Thailand has not got a clue what is going on, The Russians are running rings around them 

They wanted them, they got them, serves the stupid fools right. If this clown of a PM had done any research on the corruption in Russia, and China he may have realized, but he was more interested flying around the world trying to beg for money. Note he did not go to Ukraine (where Thais can also get a 3month visa on arrival). Thailand is Broke in more ways than one. 

Thailand the friend of all war criminals and Dictators.

Rant over. for now. 

[Ironmike]

Thailand has tried to clean up its act for so many years getting rid of all the fake watches, clothes gym gear etc, it's trying to get in rich people and families these people will never come here if they allow this Russian scum to stay it's time to get rid of them all, the thais hate them the expats hate them no one wants them here,, end there visas and kick them out before it's to late, build a website where people can inform the authorities of them working. 

I've been here 20 years and love it but if this scum keeps coming in then maybe it's time to sell up and get out. 

[KhunBENQ]

Now think of more countries you can grant visa exempt entry no less than 90 days for a start.

 

[newbee2022]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Maybe Thailand should rebrand its Land of Smiles moniker to the Land of Russian Crime after yet another Russian man was nabbed for criminal activity. Yesterday, a 36 year old Russian national added his name to a catalogue of former Soviet block criminals arrested for reportedly operating illegal activities.

 

Russian Ibragim Gaitukiev was arrested for allegedly running an unauthorised cryptocurrency exchange service on the popular tourist destination, Koh Pha Ngan, in Surat Thani, Thailand.

 

The location of his arrest was a property on Sri Thanu Beach in the Koh Pha Ngan district, as disclosed by Police Major General Sermphan Sirikhong, the head of the Surat Thani province.

 

This arrest resulted from an investigation focused on the en-samui.bitmonyekb.com website, which had been promoting the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan districts. The contact phone and WhatsApp numbers listed on the website were traced back to the bank accounts of Gaitukiev and another foreign individual, Maksim Variukhin, according to the province’s head of police.

 

The investigating officers discovered that the two foreign individuals served as executives for OM 118 Co, a company located on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani. The company operated from a house on Sri Thanu beach, a well-known tourist hotspot. This building also housed a cannabis shop known as Plantasia cannabis collective, with a noticeable Bitcoin sign placed at the front, as per police reports.

 

Investigators hypothesised that this shop was the advertised location for the cryptocurrency exchange. Following this lead, they obtained a court-approved warrant from the Samui Provincial Court on a Wednesday to search the premises. The search was conducted the next day.

 

Gaitukiev was present during the search and identified himself as the owner of the shop. While the search of the cannabis shop revealed no illegal items, there were advertisements for cryptocurrency exchange within the premises.

 

Gaitukiev was consequently arrested for operating an illegal cryptocurrency exchange. Upon questioning, he reportedly confessed that he and Variukhin had been offering digital currency services to tourists.

 

Following his arrest, Gaitukiev was charged and moved to the Koh Pha Ngan Police Station for further legal proceedings. The police did not disclose any additional information regarding the other foreign national, Variukhin.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture of Russian man, Ibragim Gaitukiev, courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-05

 

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There is something irritating in the headline.

Thailand is a land of crime anyway.

At the moment the Russians cleary have taken the lead, followed by Chinese and ......guess🙏

[Andycoops]

Another failed visa policy from the Thai government, how else are these people living here.

Only through dodgy money but they still let them in.

[crazykopite]

Thailand is becoming the Den of Thieves Russia is full of gangsters who have now moved to the likes of Thailand since the visa issue was relaxed soon it will be fighting between Thai and Russian Mafia there will be blood on the streets money laundering has become rife god knows what will happen if the Chinese mobsters get involved the government need to do yet another flip flop and reinstate the former visa requirements 

[BKKKevin]

My guess is the powers that be are doing a little house cleaning before they introduce their own digital currency... I wonder how much weed one can buy with 10,000 baht of digital currency?... 

[KhunBENQ]

10 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

Another failed visa policy from the Thai government, how else are these people living here.

Only through dodgy money but they still let them in.

Take Kazakhstan, a breeding found for islamist extremists.