Police Bust Lottery Ticket Ponzi Scheme, 3 Gang Members Arrested

A man and two women have been arrested for allegedly duping people into investing in a phony lottery ticket Ponzi scheme, resulting in more than 120 million baht in losses.

The three suspects were members of the Wai Roon Roi Lang gang, according to the Crime Suppression Police.

On Thursday, all three were apprehended at a housing estate in the Muang district of Khon Kaen.

Mr. Ratthakorn Siwatthanasirisakul, 30, and two women, Ms. Rapheephan Klinsomphas, 25, and Ms. Ratchadaporn Thuenglarp, 32, were identified in arrest warrants issued on November 1 by the Criminal Court for alleged collusion in public fraud, money laundering, and associated offences.

The suspects claimed to have close contacts with top army officials and were sales agents for government lottery tickets in Loei and neighbouring northeastern provinces of Thailand.

They allegedly duped customers into investing in a lottery ticket Ponzi Scheme that guaranteed rewards ranging from 1 to 5 baht per ticket for each lottery draw.

Initially, investors were paid as promised. They then increased their investment in the scheme.

Crime Suppression Police said that some investors who needed finances wanted to withdraw their money in February, but the suspects continued holding them off.

The investors eventually discovered that the accused were not government lottery ticket sales representatives and did not have lottery quotas as indicated.

They filed a police report, and the court issued arrest warrants for the suspects.

According to Crime Suppression Police, investigators discovered that the gang operated methodically, dividing jobs among its members – convincing others to engage in the plan, creating trust, and transferring money between bank accounts.

Crime Suppression Police tracked the gang’s money trail and discovered more than 1.9 billion baht in circulation in their illegal Ponzi Scheme.

The arresting officials seized more than ten million baht assets, including bank accounts, mobile phones, land, and automobiles, allegedly obtained through investment fraud.

According to Crime Suppression Police, there were initially two victims with losses totalling 126.8 million baht and additional victims to the Ponzi Scheme. The investigation was still ongoing.

During interrogation, all three individuals rejected the Ponzi Scheme charges. They were turned over to Crime Suppression Police detectives to face legal charges.

Gold Shop Robbed By Lone Gunman in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

On Friday morning, a lone thief held up a gold shop in the Lotus shopping mall in Sena area and stole $2 million in gold in less than a minute.

Around 11 a.m. on Friday, a man dressed in a black jacket and long trousers, a black crash helmet, and white gloves approached the Gold shop counter on the first floor of the mall on Ayutthaya-Sena Road in tambon Bang Nomkho.

He took out a revolver, fired one round into the business, and cried, “Robbery!” The female employees fled.

The burglar leapt over the showcase and rapidly snatched gold necklaces from trays into his shoulder bag before fleeing the store on a motorcycle. The entire robbery took under a minute.

Employees of the business reported police who arrived on the scene that the thief stole 39 gold necklaces totaling 60 baht and valued approximately 2 million baht.

Employees at a store near the mall’s entrance stated the thief hid a PVC pipe wrapped in tape and electric cables with a clock near the entrance before fleeing.

One employee promptly relocated the PVC pipe behind the mall. Police investigated and determined that it was a fake explosive planted there to confuse the robber and give him more time to flee.

Security camera footage shows the thief leaving on a motorcycle along the Wat Bang Nomkho-Wat Ban Daeng path, which runs behind the mall.

Source: Bangkok Post