Malaysian nabbed in Phuket with fake credit cards

Mohd Jaris Tun Bin Abdullah was arrested after he disembarked a flight at Phuket International Airport

PHUKET: Tourist Police arrested a Malaysian national yesterday (April 4) at Phuket International Airport for using fake credit cards.

Details of the arrest of Mohd Jaris Tun Bin Abdullah, 50, were made at a press conference held jointly by tourist Police and the Kasikorn Bank investigation unit.

The arresting officers had received information from Kasikorn Bank's investigation unit stating that the suspect would be travelling to Phuket via Phuket International Airport on AirAsia flight FD 3017 from Don Mueang Airport and that the plane would arrive at 5.05pm.

After the plane had landed, officers, who were waiting outside the plane, approached Mr Abdullah as he disembarked. They identified themselves as police and asked to see Mr Abdullah’stravel document and also carried out a search of his belongings.

Inside Mr Abdullah’s bag police found a money bag, two HSBC Bank credit cards, one
Citibank credit card, one OCBC Bank credit card, one Public Bank card and an American Express card. They also found bank slips for The Ship Hotel and for AirAsia in Hadyai Airport.

Kasikorn Bank's investigation unit checked all the cards and found that the information held them had been copied from cards which were issued by international banks from other countries.

Pol Maj Urumporn Khoondejsumrit, an inspector from the Tourist Police said that after checking Mr Abdullah’s immigration history he had come to Thailand seven times in February. He arrived in Thailand again on Saturday (April 4) and had booked a return flight for Sunday (April 5).

Officers stated that Mr Abdullah had used the cards to buy brand name items as they had found evidence on his mobile phone that he had sent information through WE CHAT about his purchases, and also from bank slips from purchases made in Bangkok, Had Yai, Songkhla and Phuket.

Mr Abdullah is currently being held at Thachatchai Police Station while he awaits legal proceedings.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/malaysian-nabbed-in-phuket-with-fake-credit-cards-51736.php

-- Phuket News 2015-04-05

While I fully appreciate the need for consistency throughout the Thai legal system, I really do believe some drastic measures are now needed.

Thailand has enough problems of it's own to deal with and solve, goodness knows there are enough unscrupulous and corrupt locals for the authorities to deal with.

It is now obvious (and has been for some time) that foreign nationals of many countries are now seeing Thailand as an easy touch, they are basing themselves here to take advantage of the influx of foreign, well healed tourists.

Yes I also appreciate this happens in every country, but not all countries are dealing with the problems Thailand now faces. It is a huge task to eradicate endemic corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency at the very highest levels of all departments of government, and a society that is gradually modernizing and developing.

What drastic measures could now make a difference? I was thinking very, very lengthy jail terms for foreign nationals engaged in illegal practices, Thailand must now make itself the last place where foreigners come to practice their illegal trade. To me a shining example is Singapore, they have a NIL tolerance for foreigners who step out of line there.

Make no mistake Thailand is at an important juncture, if reform, progress and the momentum of change is to be maintained, if Thailand's already damaged reputation is to be restored then change must be instigated sooner rather than later.

Time is not on Thailand's side...

all banks in the world have the means to stop fraud..but its easier to let this happen than to implement the technology because its cheaper..since when have banks ever given a toss about joe public..

Grrrr... we'r all of us in danger with those b*stards

I firmly believe in what bignose has stated about Thailand being an easy mark pattaya is a classical example over the last ten years it has attracted every villain under the sun and of course it still is doing and will continue to do so as pattaya gets bigger .

I bet his passport is fake too and that's not his real name. He looks chinese and not Malay. Also, it's the malaysian chinese syndicates that are behind these sort of activities.