Four ‘rich Malaysians’ held in Thailand over scam

BANGKOK: Four “rich Malaysian investors” from a transnational scam syndicate were arrested for allegedly cheating a 56-year-old Thai woman of millions of baht under the guise of wanting to buy her resort in Chiang Mai.

Thai Tourist Police deputy chief Major-General Surachet Hakpan said the suspects, aged between 49 and 74, allegedly deceived the victim into losing a large sum of money during a gambling session and also into owing them 14 million baht (RM1.75 million).

The four suspects, he said, portrayed themselves as wealthy Malaysians who were interested in buying the victim’s 12-million baht resort in Chiang Mai, where they held meetings several times to negotiate the purchase and visited the property early this month.

“On Jan 17, they met the victim at a hotel room in Bangkok, where she claimed that the suspects had spiked her drink before gambling.

“The suspects deceived her into losing 3.8 million baht, and at the same time, into owing them another 14 million baht,” he said here yesterday.

Surachet, who heads the Royal Thai Police’s efforts to combat scam syndicates, said the suspects claimed to be successful businessmen in the oil palm industry and had about US$1 million (RM3.9 million) in their possession that they planned to invest in Thailand.

A day after the encounter at the hotel room, the victim lodged a report after realising she had been duped into parting with millions of baht.

Upon receiving the report, Thai police conducted an investigation before arresting the four suspects at a hotel here yesterday. They seized Malaysian, Thai and US currencies, and counterfeit money.

Surachet said the Malaysian men were part of an international scam syndicate who preyed on Thais. Bernama