DSI criticised for seizing fake luxury watches from iCon Group CEO

[webfact]

Netizens and watch experts criticised the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for being deceived by the iCon Group CEO into seizing fake luxury watches from a rented room near the company office in the Bang Khen district of Bangkok.

 

Following the arrest of iCon Group CEO Waratphol “Paul” Waratworakul and 17 other leading members, the DSI investigated each suspect’s assets to temporarily seize them for further legal proceedings and to prevent the suspects from hiding their valuables.

 

A tip-off about the presence of Paul’s car at a rented room in Soi Ram Indra 9 led to a raid on the room on October 22. According to a witness, Paul was suspected of hiding some of his valuables and belongings in the room on October 1, before his arrest.

 

A witness reported to the police that Paul arrived at the apartment in his yellow luxury car before his arrest. Another leading member, known as Boss Off, later came on another day to rent the room. Many boxes were transferred to the location before Paul’s arrest.

DSI officers raided the room and managed to seize multiple luxury watches, gold necklaces, valuable amulets, designer brand shoes, and other items, which were estimated to be worth over 40 million baht.

 

Pictures of the seized valuables were shared on social media platforms, raising suspicions among the public about their authenticity. Many netizens, especially watch lovers and experts, agreed that all of the seized watches were counterfeit.

 

These suspicions led to criticism of the DSI’s operation. Some expressed their disappointment that the officers were misled by the suspect into seizing fake products, while others demanded that the DSI hire specialists to investigate the authenticity of the seized valuables.

 

October 23, the Deputy Director and Acting Director of the DSI, Yutthana Phaedam, came forward to clarify the matter to the public. Yutthana explained that DSI officers acted on the tip-off and seized the items regardless of whether they were genuine or not for further investigation.

 

According to Yutthana, a specialist would later investigate each item, and the details of the investigation would be reported afterwards.

 

by Petch Petpailin
Photo via Facebook/ DSI กรมสอบสวนคดีพิเศษ and Instagram/ @paultheicon

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-10-25

 

 

[Artisi]

Yep, fake watches given to him by his dead friends. 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Pictures of the seized valuables were shared on social media platforms, raising suspicions among the public about their authenticity. Many netizens, especially watch lovers and experts, agreed that all of the seized watches were counterfeit.

Armchair experts?

[OneMoreFarang]

Now imagine if this "boss" bought real watches and he was sure he was hiding real watches.

But then someone, at some time, exchanges them with fake watches.

Who and when? Nobody knows? And obviously he can't exactly go to the police and complain.

 

With my limited experience, some fakes are pretty good. 

[Gottfrid]

The watches just turned into a 40 million baht bride to the police. That´s amazing. Everything just vaporized into clean air. They just have another concept about money laundry in this country. It all comes down to how easy it is to fool the people. 

[ChrisY1]

The watch boxes are cheap....but it's almost impossible to claim all the watches are fakes from this photo.

Experts nowadays, have specific ways of detecting fake watches now.....they are so good!

[jippytum]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Netizens and watch experts criticised the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for being deceived by the iCon Group CEO into seizing fake luxury watches from a rented room near the company office in the Bang Khen district of Bangkok.

 

Following the arrest of iCon Group CEO Waratphol “Paul” Waratworakul and 17 other leading members, the DSI investigated each suspect’s assets to temporarily seize them for further legal proceedings and to prevent the suspects from hiding their valuables.

 

A tip-off about the presence of Paul’s car at a rented room in Soi Ram Indra 9 led to a raid on the room on October 22. According to a witness, Paul was suspected of hiding some of his valuables and belongings in the room on October 1, before his arrest.

 

A witness reported to the police that Paul arrived at the apartment in his yellow luxury car before his arrest. Another leading member, known as Boss Off, later came on another day to rent the room. Many boxes were transferred to the location before Paul’s arrest.

DSI officers raided the room and managed to seize multiple luxury watches, gold necklaces, valuable amulets, designer brand shoes, and other items, which were estimated to be worth over 40 million baht.

 

Pictures of the seized valuables were shared on social media platforms, raising suspicions among the public about their authenticity. Many netizens, especially watch lovers and experts, agreed that all of the seized watches were counterfeit.

 

These suspicions led to criticism of the DSI’s operation. Some expressed their disappointment that the officers were misled by the suspect into seizing fake products, while others demanded that the DSI hire specialists to investigate the authenticity of the seized valuables.

 

October 23, the Deputy Director and Acting Director of the DSI, Yutthana Phaedam, came forward to clarify the matter to the public. Yutthana explained that DSI officers acted on the tip-off and seized the items regardless of whether they were genuine or not for further investigation.

 

According to Yutthana, a specialist would later investigate each item, and the details of the investigation would be reported afterwards.

 

by Petch Petpailin
Photo via Facebook/ DSI กรมสอบสวนคดีพิเศษ and Instagram/ @paultheicon

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-10-25

 

 

 

[jippytum]

The money in this scam runs into billions including property and luxury cars. 

Is it possible the real high end  watches  had been replaced by fake copies? 

Just saying!! 

[ronster]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Pictures of the seized valuables were shared on social media platforms, raising suspicions among the public about their authenticity. Many netizens, especially watch lovers and experts, agreed that all of the seized watches were counterfeit.

Nonsense !!

Unless they were the worst fakes in the world there is no way they could say all were fake . You can buy high end fakes that even a watch dealer will struggle to tell the difference between it and real ones unless they open the case to look at the mechanism and even then they would have to know a lot about that .

[mfd101]

Looking at the photo and the creature there displaying his hiso wealth ... I just think there's a whole world of criminal morons out there, many of them generals or police chiefs or politicians or their wives. All of them disgusting and contemptible.

 

I wouldn't p/s on any of them.

[John Drake]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Another leading member, known as Boss Off, later came on another day to rent the room.

 

Boss Off?

[Yagoda]

The two things about Bangkok that drive me nuts: Africans and watch sellers.

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, jippytum said:

The money in this scam runs into billions including property and luxury cars. 

Is it possible the real high end  watches  had been replaced by fake copies? 

Just saying!! 

Well not by the incorruptible police, must have been his driver or gardener. 

[Burma Bill]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

the iCon Group CEO into seizing fake luxury watches

 

What a laugh. Has the iCon CEO, who has scammed so many unfortunate people, been scammed himself?

[motdaeng]

they should ask "fatty" to lead the watch investigation ...