DSI to put Forex-3D kingpin’s assets under the hammer to help repay victims
The confiscated assets of Apiruk Kothi, the alleged mastermind behind the Forex-3D Ponzi scheme, were delivered to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) on Thursday.
The assets worth over 230 million baht will be auctioned off to pay back victims of the scheme, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said.
The 173 items confiscated include 14 luxurious cars, 11 go-karts, 12 plots of land and buildings, nine special licence plates, 54 sets of fitness equipment and several pieces of gold jewellery and watches.
The DSI revealed that the foreign currency Ponzi scheme, operated via the www.forex-3D.com website and three Facebook pages, has defrauded 9,824 people since 2019 and their losses could amount to over 2.48 billion baht.
Apiruk was arrested in January last year while trying to sneak into the country from Cambodia after more than a year on the run. Though he and other members of his team are in jail, many others are still at large.
On Thursday, the Criminal Court denied bail for actress Sawika “Pinky” Chaidet, her mother Sarinya, brother Sarayut and 19 others who face charges of colluding to defraud others and disseminate fake information through a computer system.
The suspects allegedly lured thousands of people into investing in foreign currencies with the promise of high returns, using their status as celebrities to boost the scheme’s credibility.
The suspects were denied bail because the court considers them a flight risk.