Thai Immigration Busts 4 Nigerians for Online Romance Scam and Overstay

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BANGKOK – Thai Immigration police have arrested four Nigerians for overstaying their tourist visas and charged them with being involved in a criminal network conducting online romance scams.

The arrest was announced yesterday at a press conference at the Immigration Bureau at 11.30am.

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Immigration police chief Pol Lt-General Sutthipong Wongpin identified the four suspects as Egbain Andrew, Onwuemeru Elvis, Uchechukwu Benjamin Ejimadu and Ahamefula Chibuike Kali.

Pol Lt-General Sutthipong Wongpin said the men were arrested after police received complaints from Thai women that they had been duped to transfer money to the accounts of “con artists”.

He said the four used photos of handsome white men on their Facebook profiles and approached Thai women online to engage in romantically themed chats.

As the relationships progressed, the men allegedly told the victims they had sent them expensive gifts, but the women would have to pay for the items to clear Customs.

A Thai woman the called the victims, allegedly pretending to be an official at a logistics firm, and gave an account number to which the women could transfer money.

Gen. Sutthipong said police had not arrested any Thai accomplices.

He added that the four had overstayed their tourist visas by three to eight years.

Source: The Nation