Cops nab 4 lottery scammers

Four key members of a gang involved in a lottery scam have been arrested after they allegedly conned victims out of 100 million baht over a period of 20 years.

The suspects were identified as Sanoh Phumkrachan, Kowit Phumkrachan, Sutthisak Thammasangwan and Suraphol Suaphai.

The lottery scam was mainly operated by three brothers: Mr Sanoh, Mr Kowit, and Chatkiat Phumkrachan who remains at large.

Mr Sanoh and Mr Kowit were apprehended in Nonthaburi on Jan 11.

Police did not say where or when the two other suspects were arrested.

The arrests came after 60 officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) launched raids on 10 locations linked with the racket in Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Bangkok early this month.

Authorities also impounded gold necklaces, Buddha amulets in gold-framed cases, and gold rings and watches valued at more than 1 million baht during the raids.

They belonged to those who fell prey to the gang, police said.

Wiwat Jitsophakul, deputy chief of the CSD’s sub-division 3, said investigators spent about five months compiling evidence and tracking the four suspects down.

He said the scam was run by some 20 members who lured victims from across the country.

Pol Lt Col Wiwat said normal lottery tickets were doctored by gang members who claimed they won a prize to deceive victims.

They targeted the elderly, particularly retired officials with poor eyesight, so they would not detect an irregularity on the fake tickets.

The gang singled out potential victims from phone numbers posted either on roadside billboards offering to sell land or on the internet.

The gang then contacted them, pretending to take an interest in the land sale advertisement.

When the gang members met elderly land owners, one would pose as a migrant worker with the doctored lottery ticket, claiming they had won the 3-million-baht first prize but could not collect it because they were not a Thai citizen.

The gang persuaded victims to purchase the fake tickets for between 100,000 baht and 2 million baht. The ticket could be bought in a variety of ways including cash, valuables or assets.

Once the transactions were complete the gang members went into hiding and could no longer be contacted.

Pol Lt Col Wiwat said authorities had received complaints from many people that they had been swindled out of a combined 100 million baht over 19 years.