UDON THAINI – A retired Australian police officer expressed clear relief after Thai police arrested a German man he accuses of cheating him out of $1.1 million through an elaborate cryptocurrency scam.
Michael, aged 65, thanked the officers in Thai and handed flowers to Police Lieutenant Colonel Pattanawong Janphon at Udon Thani City Police Station to show his gratitude.
Michael and his wife, Areerut, 50, reported the alleged scam on July 17. They claimed Alex, a 38-year-old German living in Phuket, tricked them after they met on a social media site more than a year before. After building trust online, Alex invited them to Phuket in person.
He introduced them to what seemed like a legitimate cryptocurrency investment, backed by polished websites and convincing return figures. The couple believed it was genuine and kept investing more money.
Their confidence collapsed when withdrawals failed and Alex disappeared, leaving them over $1.1 million, which included Michael’s police pension savings. Authorities acted quickly. Police tracked the funds and located Alex soon after the complaint.
When Alex ignored a police summons, a court granted an arrest warrant on July 23.
Immigration officers eventually found Alex at a gym in southern Thailand after he left his Phuket home. He now faces charges of computer fraud and public deception. Alex denies any wrongdoing, saying he, too, was a victim after his phone went missing.
Police are encouraging others who suspect they were targeted by Alex to contact their nearest station or call Udon Thani City Police at 042-221077.
In other related news, police have stepped up their investigation into a wide-ranging international drug operation involving foreign suspects. The probe has highlighted the ways criminals are using Thailand’s busy tourist hubs for global drug smuggling.
The most recent arrest happened on August 1. Officers from Chalong Police Station stopped a Nigerian citizen named Odinaka at a routine checkpoint on Chao Fa Tawan Tok Road in Chalong, Mueang District, Phuket.
Odinaka tried to escape by speeding through the checkpoint, leading to a brief chase before police detained him.
Police searched Odinaka’s car and found 73.31 grams of cocaine. He now faces charges related to unlawful possession of a Category 2 narcotic. Investigators believe this case connects to a larger trafficking network using tourist hotspots as cover.
Earlier, the investigation picked up speed after the arrest of two Brazilian nationals, Mr Silva, 35, and Miss Andrade, 25. The pair was stopped at Koh Samui International Airport on July 19 with 6.63 kilograms of cocaine, worth about 20 million baht ($615,000), hidden in their bags.
The Brazilians had travelled from São Paulo, stopping in Doha, then landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and continuing to Koh Samui. During questioning, they described how a Brazilian contact offered them a free holiday to Koh Samui, covering all expenses, with the only requirement being that they carry supplied luggage.
After arriving, they were told to stay at a set hotel, where someone would collect the bags. For their part, they expected to receive 35,000 Brazilian reais (about $6,300).
Thai police believe these cases are linked, pointing to a wider network that includes suspects from Nigeria and Brazil. The evidence suggests organized criminal groups are taking advantage of Thailand’s popularity with tourists to move drugs between continents.
Officers are now expanding their investigation, aiming to uncover more suspects and dismantle this international network using Southeast Asia’s travel routes for trafficking.
