Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has dismantled a major international scam operation using a Bangkok-based import-export company as a front, with estimated damages exceeding 2 billion baht.

 

DSI officers led by Pol. Lt. Col. Wisanu Chimtrakool, Deputy Director-General of the DSI, and Pol. Lt. Col. Khemachart Prakaikhongmanee, Director of the Bureau of Technology and Information Cases, executed court-approved search warrant No. 402/2568 at a warehouse located at 19/3 Soi Phetchaburi 13 Yaek 1, Phayathai district, Bangkok.

 

The premises were registered as Falcon Junior Export Cargo Co., Ltd., a two-storey facility with office space above and storage below. At the scene, officers arrested 55-year-old Nigerian national Mr. Lewinus Masduabusudu Akeebuchi, the company’s owner and a prime suspect in a broader transnational scam ring. He was wanted under Criminal Court warrant No. 3031/2568 issued on 27 May 2025.

 

Mr. Akeebuchi faces multiple serious charges including participation in a transnational criminal organisation, computer-related fraud, impersonation for fraudulent gain, money laundering and conspiracy to launder money.

 

The raid was part of a coordinated operation involving 11 search locations nationwide, resulting in the arrest of seven suspects linked to an online scam network. Authorities believe the gang operated thousands of fake websites offering non-existent products and services, duping victims, both in Thailand and abroad.

 

Investigations revealed that the scam dates back to the early COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, during which the suspects posed as suppliers of essential medical goods, such as face masks and gloves. The front company was allegedly used to lure victims into fraudulent investments, falsely presenting itself as a legitimate business while engaging in suspiciously high-volume financial transactions that did not match declared revenues.

 

Authorities said “mule accounts” were used to receive illicit funds, which were later converted into cryptocurrency. Losses from the operation are estimated at over ฿2 billion, with approximately 30 victims from various countries. On the day of the raid, a Vietnamese national who lost over ฿8 million also attended to observe the proceedings.

 

Searches were conducted across Bangkok and surrounding areas, as well as in Nakhon Pathom, Krabi, Kanchanaburi, and Chanthaburi. Among the arrested were three foreign nationals, two Nigerians apprehended in Bangkok and Chanthaburi and a Cameroonian English teacher caught in Krabi, along with four Thai nationals. Authorities confirmed that 24 arrest warrants had been issued in connection with the case.

 

DSI’s Pol. Lt. Col. Khemachart stated the department had been investigating the gang since the onset of the pandemic but formally accepted the case as a special investigation two years ago. Multiple agencies collaborated, employing forensic evidence and digital intelligence.

 

Items seized included vehicles, cash and cryptocurrency. Authorities plan to transfer assets to Thailand’s Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) for restitution to victims through civil proceedings.

 

During the operation, DSI teams initially encountered a locked warehouse and no response from within. Officers forced entry and later discovered two Nigerian nationals hiding beneath a staircase.

 

The suspects are currently in custody as the investigation expands into the full extent of the network and its financial trail.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-05-31.

 

 

 

Maybe the Nigerians should stick with romance scams.....

The police & other agencies do a great job in getting rid of these grubs that corrupt systems & businesses trying to do legitimate trade. Whether they are Communist Chinese or Africans doesn't matter, give them Jail and put them in the criminal database so they can be tracked.