Chinese fraud suspects arrested in Pattaya raid

Thai police have arrested four Chinese nationals wanted by authorities in Wuhan over an alleged document-forgery fraud case involving losses of nearly 100 million baht.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), through the Special Service Division, worked with the Immigration Bureau to detain the four suspects after they were identified as prohibited persons under Section 12(7) of the Immigration Act BE 2522.

The provision covers foreign nationals wanted under arrest warrants issued by authorities in other countries.

The suspects were wanted under warrants issued by the Public Security Bureau in Wuhan, China, on charges of fraud through the falsification of documents.

Police arrested the first three suspects in Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, while the fourth suspect was detained inside Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The operation followed close cross-border coordination.

The Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Centre passed information to the CIB’s centre for suppressing transnational criminals and illegal immigration, asking Thai authorities to track down the Chinese suspects.

According to police, the group was linked to a company that had secured a contract for demolition and landscape restoration work in Wuhan.

Investigators alleged that the suspects conspired to falsify information and documents to fraudulently obtain demolition and expropriation compensation from the Wuhan New City Land Management Company.

They were also accused of using other people’s names and bank accounts to receive the proceeds.

The alleged damage exceeded 18 million yuan, or nearly 100 million baht.

Police said the suspects fled to Thailand and used long-stay visas for people aged 50 and above, commonly known as retirement visas, to avoid detection.

Investigators from the Special Service Division and the Immigration Bureau later found that the group had been using a luxury housing estate in Bang Lamung district as their main safe house.

After gathering evidence, police obtained a search warrant from the Pattaya Provincial Court and raided the property, arresting three key suspects.

Further questioning led officers to discover that a fourth suspect, identified only as Luo, was heading to Suvarnabhumi Airport in an alleged attempt to leave the country.

Investigators coordinated with airport authorities and detained her before she could depart.

Police informed the suspects that their permission to stay in Thailand had been revoked before handing them over to investigators for further legal proceedings.

Initial questioning found that the suspects admitted they were the individuals named in the arrest warrants issued by Chinese authorities.

The operation was carried out under the direction of senior CIB and Immigration Bureau commanders, with officers from the Special Service Division and Immigration Bureau investigators involved in the arrests.