Bad News for Con Artists in Thailand...

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INTERNATIONAL DRUGS RING FROM A MANSION IN THAILAND

‘Untouchable’ drugs baron who ran international dealing ring from mansion in Thailand jailed after being arrested at IKEA

Craig Allen, 50, from Sheffield, S Yorks, sentenced to 20 years Dubbed 'ginger ninja' and 'little fella', he made £5,000 a week dealing drugs
Arrested at gunpoint outside IKEA in Amsterdam last October In his Dutch flat, police found 3kg cocaine, 1kg heroin, €425,000, cash-counting machine, scales and rubber gloves.


Drug dealer Craig Allen, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, had convictions dating back to 1975 and 'thought he was above the law'. He now faces 20 years in jail.

An ‘untouchable’ drugs baron who ran a worldwide heroin and cocaine dealing ring from a mansion in Thailand is facing prison today after being arrested at IKEA.

Craig Allen, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, had convictions dating back to 1975 and 'thought he was above the law'.

But now, the 50-year-old - nicknamed the 'ginger ninja' and 'little fella' - has been jailed for 20 years.

His drugs operation made him £5,000 a week, which was used to fund a lavish lifestyle at the luxury estate he shared with his Thai wife and child.

However, his empire crumbled when he was arrested at gunpoint - outside IKEA in Amsterdam - by Dutch police last October, and then extradited to the UK.

When police searched his Dutch flat, they found 3kg of cocaine, 1kg of heroin, €425,000 (£350,000) in cash, scales, a cash-counting machine, rubber gloves, a vacuum-packing machine and other drugs paraphernalia.

DI Craig Jackson from South Yorkshire Police, who led the investigation, said: 'Craig Allen is a sophisticated and determined drug trafficker who was directly responsible for the supply of Class A drugs onto the streets of South Yorkshire and across the UK.

'Much of Allen’s criminality was orchestrated from Thailand and the Netherlands and was undertaken by his UK-based co-defendants in a highly organised manner.

'He thought he was above the law, untouchable, and operating in a jurisdiction like Thailand gave him a degree of anonymity.

'But South Yorkshire and England will be safer places with Allen behind bars, there is no doubt.


When police searched 50-year-old Allen's Dutch flat, they found 3kg of cocaine, 1kg of heroin, 425,000 euros (£350,000) in cash, scales, a cash-counting machine, rubber gloves, a vacuum-packing machine and other drugs paraphernalia


The 'untouchable' drugs baron ran a worldwide heroin and cocaine dealing ring from a mansion in Thailand he shared with his Thai wife and young child. Above, large wads of cash found at his flat in the Netherlands

David Brooke, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court where Allen pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial to conspiracy to import and supply heroin, and conspiracy to supply cocaine, said Allen was caught after five police operations in 2010 and 2011 which linked him to heroin and cocaine supply.

In total, 24kg of Class A drugs worth around £1.85million were seized at locations around South Yorkshire and from two drugs mules who flew into Liverpool from Amsterdam with drugs hidden in their bodies.

Allen was caught after South Yorkshire Police linked five Class A drugs operations to him primarily through mobile phone evidence.

They discovered that in each case, Allen was at the helm, directing the delivery of drugs and exchange of cash in the UK to organized crime groups from his Thai mansion.

He used up to 20 mobile telephones to conduct his operation. In the period covered by the police operations, nearly £200,000 was wired to Thailand. Officers linked each of Allen’s co-defendants back to him.


Allen was caught after South Yorkshire Police linked five Class A drugs operations to him primarily through mobile phone evidence. Above, a bag of money found in Allen's Dutch flat

The court heard Allen has previous convictions dating back to 1975 when he was a juvenile.

Between then and 1988, he committed dishonesty offenses and in 1991 he was one of eight men who broke out of a prison bus in Sheffield while on remand for armed robbery and deception.

The guards were manacled inside and the prisoners fled, sparking a national manhunt. Allen was captured after four months.

In 1993, Allen was jailed for 12 years and six months for supplying heroin and amphetamines.

He was jailed again in 2001 for two years for conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Then in 2003 he was acquitted of involvement in the murder of Sheffield music promoter Lester Divers, who was shot dead at the wheel of his car.

Allen fled to Spain with his then wife and son to make a 'fresh start' due to 'serious threats against him'.

Allen’s barrister Adrian Waterman, QC said he tried to make a fresh start and worked as a painter and decorator - a profession in which he was formally trained.

His wife returned to the UK with their son, but Allen was unable to go with her because of the threats against him and visited a friend in Thailand where he settled.

'It was irresistible to him not to stay away from a return to his old ways,' said Mr Waterman. 'He was safer associating with other drug dealers than living a more conventional life. He fell back into the drug-dealing world.'


Allen's empire crumbled when he was arrested at gunpoint - outside IKEA in Amsterdam - by Dutch police last October, and then extradited to the UK.

He said Allen became a 'middle man' arranging the transportation of drugs on behalf of others.

He left Thailand in 2010 for Amsterdam because he owed money to drug dealers, leaving behind his new Thai wife Kanya Plaengdee, whom he married in 2010, and their young child.

Det Insp Jackson added: 'Craig Allen was directing and controlling the supply of Class A drugs into the UK for distribution in England and Wales from the other side of the world.

'He was Sheffield born and bred but his reputation extends far beyond Sheffield. He’s a very well-known figure.

'We worked with Dutch colleagues to identify his whereabouts and arrest him. He certainly wasn’t expecting it. He had no idea that we were on to him at all.'

He said Allen’s arrest had been ‘a long time coming’.

'The investigation team have worked long and hard to see Craig Allen sentenced for his extensive criminality,' he added.

'I wish to personally thank the team of officers involved in this complex and protracted investigation for their tenacity, professionalism and drive to produce a methodically prepared case.'

Allen and three co-defendants were jailed for a combined total of 61 years after admitting conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

O’Neil Richard Davidson, 36, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Steven Hudson, 43, of Sheffield, received a nine-year jail term.

Selena Nickels, 45, of Sheffield, was sentenced to six years behind bars after she pleaded guilty on February 27.

Leroy Grant, of Manchester, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs following a two-week trial. He was sentenced to 18 years.

Brian Saunders, 48, of Sheffield, will be sentenced at a later date.


...Oh Yes......and the Ferrari might stand out a bit much in Udon Thani.........

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FAKE ATM CARDS

Frenchman held with fake ATM cards on Phuket


Frenchman Jawad Naci was caught in possession of 70 fake AT M cards after Phuket police and Siam Commercial Bank officials tracked him down.

25 MAY 2014

Phuket: A French national has been arrested on charges of using fake electronic cards to withdraw money from ATMs on the resort island, police said yesterday.

Provincial Police Region 8 commissioner Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen said yesterday Jawad Naci, 32, who has been living in Thailand for six years and has a Thai wife had been detained in the car park of an apartment building in Thalang district.

He said a police team and a financial crime prevention unit from Siam Commercial Bank had been tracking the suspect after it was discovered that he was using a number of fake electronic cards to withdraw money from ATMs in Thalang district.

The suspect confessed to using a few cards he had obtained from an unidentified gang to withdraw hundreds of thousands of baht from the ATMs, Pol Lt Gen Panya said.

The financial transaction data stored in the fake cards was believed to have been stolen abroad, he said.

During the arrest, police also seized 95.9g of cannabis. Pol Lt Gen Panya said the suspect had connections to a drug gang and supplied drugs to tourists in Phuket.

He said under Thai law, a person convicted of using fake electronic cards to steal money from an ATM can be sentenced to five years in prison for each illegal card and for each illegal use of a card.

The suspect was caught with 70 fake cards and faced at least 200 years in jail, Pol Lt Gen Panya said.

In previous police crackdowns on fake electronic card gangs, most suspects were found to be from Malaysia, he said. Few had come from Europe.

There are listed areas that are closely monitored for this particular crime, including tourist destinations in the South such as Phuket, Krabi, Samui and Surat Thani, Pol Lt Gen Panya said.

Members of the public were encouraged to cooperate with the police to clamp down on the fake electronic card gangs by reporting any suspicious incidents to the police, such as spotting a foreigner using too many cards to withdraw money from an ATM.

Anyone suspecting the use of fake electronic cards should report to the police or call 191 immediately, he said.



Bangkok Post (25 May 2014)








 

 

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RUSSIAN MAFIA

Russian mafia boss arrested in Thailand


ARRESTED: A Thai immigration official escorts Alexander Matusov, right, wanted on alleged multiple killings charges.

A Russian mafia gang leader wanted back home for his alleged involvement in scores of killings and other criminal activities since 1995 was arrested in Thailand while living on a retirement visa, police said Wednesday.

The mafia boss, Alexander Matusov, was arrested Monday in front of a supermarket in Thailand’s eastern seaside town of Sattahip in Chonburi province, said Police General Wut Liptapanlop.

Matusov’s network ‘‘Chelkovo’’ was active from 1995 to 2009 and was notorious for killings, extortion and kidnappings in Moscow and St. Petersburg areas, according to Alexey Falunin, a Russian diplomat in Bangkok. ‘‘They were responsible for a lot of killings and his detention is very important to us,’’ he told The Associated Press.

The Russian authorities issued arrest warrants for Matusov and other gang members for allegedly murdering four members of a rival gang in 1996.

Wut said the 52-year-old first entered Thailand in 2009 and left before returning on a fake Armenian passport.

He said Matusov had been living in Thailand on a retirement visa.

Thai immigration police had revoked his visa and were pushing for his deportation to Russia for prosecution.

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ATM SKIMMERS IN THAILAND

ATM skimmers nabbed in Chiang Mai



CHIANG MAI: POLICE HAVE arrested two ATM skimmer suspects - a Swedish man and a Filipino - in Chiang Mai's Muang district along with 500 fake electronic cards.

Following a tip-off by a bank about someone using fake ATM cards to withdraw cash from its machines, Swedish national Per Johan Robin Bentley, 29, and Filipino national Matin Philip Javellana Magno, 31 were arrested at a mall on Sunday.

The pair were carrying fake cards.

Hundreds more were found in their hotel room along with card-making and card-swiping machines and two eyeglass cameras modified so they could be attached to ATM machines.

Provincial Police Region 5 deputy chief Maj-General Tanitsak Teerasawat said police suspected the duo's network had stolen at least Bt10 million and they were looking for accomplices.

Bentley and Magno confessed and said they had skimmed in South Korea and the Philippines but were not arrested, Tanitsak said.

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CRIME TRACK

Con artists making off with millions

Fraudsters use outlandish stories to lure victims,writes Wassayos Ngamkham

An increasing number of impersonators are luring victims into parting with their cash as the number of warrants out against scam gangs now reaches the thousands.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) said 3,000 warrants have been issued against the fraudsters so far, and city police have been working on 400 scams in the past two weeks alone, said Pol Maj Gen Thitirach Nonghanphithak, MPB deputy chief.

The suspects must be captured and prosecuted quickly as they tend to continue committing the crime even after warrants have been issued for their arrest, he said.

Those convicted often go back to the crime after they have been released from jail.

In the past two weeks, police caught suspects in four major gangs.

The con artists are both Thais and foreigners.

In the first case, four suspects — Decha Surinrit, 52; his wife Ammaraporn Surinrit, 54; Mr Decha's daughter Sarocha or Saranrat Sathianpak, 21; and Panrawee Tharapanya, 50 — were detained for questioning following a complaint.

A woman named Oraya Thestham told the Crime Suppression Division's Sub-Division 5 saying she had lost 1 million baht after the gang lured her into believing she would see a 100 million baht return for helping them recover Ms Sarocha's 100 billion baht seized in Brunei. They claimed the 1 million baht was to pay a fee.

Their arrests followed a complaint by Oraya Thettham and seven others who claimed they were duped into transferring at least 1 million baht into the gang's accounts.

Mr Decha allegedly tricked the victims into believing Ms Ammaraporn was a daughter of the Sultan of Brunei who had cash and valuable items worth more than 100 billion baht seized by a court order
as part of an assets probe. Police said Mr Decha showed the victims bogus court papers backing up the story.

In the second case, a Thai woman and a Nigerian man were arrested last week for allegedly deceiving a Taiwanese company based in Taiwan to transfer 4.6 million baht to a bank account of Anchulee Siriwong, 34.

Ms Anchulee and Stanley Onyekwere, 27, were detained at a rented apartment in Bung Kum district last Tuesday. They were found to have sent emails to the Taiwanese company pretending to be its Thai trade partner and asking it to pay for its orders for metal joints by transferring the money to Ms Anchulee's account.

The Taiwanese firm believed the email was genuine because it looked like an email it used in prior correspondences with the Thai trading partner.

Police said Ms Anchulee opened a back account in Thailand to receive the money. She was promised a 5% cut from the fraud money.

In the third case, a former messenger for a police trade magazine was arrested last week for impersonating the Bang Yi Khan police chief and duped a Por Kung Phao restaurant chain branch out of 200,000 baht.

Ekkaphob Sukhom, 23 — who had access to his previous employer's database of commercial sponsors and was familiar with collecting advertising bills from companies that ran advertisements in the magazine — had at first successfully duped 200,000 baht from the restaurant.

He posed as chief of the police station and asked for sponsorship from the restaurant to finance the station's activities.

No one knew he was bogus until the real Bang Yi Khan police station chief turned up at the restaurant one day and was asked by the restaurant manager if he had received the money transferred to him.

Bang Yi Khan police tracked down Mr Ekkaphob and arrested him in Bang Sue district. He was subsequently charged with fraud.

Earlier, Mr Ekkaphob was found to have stolen 500,000 baht by deceiving a businessman in Ratchaburi. After he was caught by police, he agreed to return the money to the businessman, who agreed to drop charges against him and other suspects, police say.

In the last case, Thawichai Takpakdi, 31, and 35 other suspects were nabbed on Aug 21 for allegedly convincing farmers in Sa Kaeo's Muang district to buy fake fertilizer and substandard farm equipment. The farmers lost about 4.7 million baht.

Some of the victims spent all their life's savings to buy the fertilizer and the farm tools thinking they were worth the investment, said Pol Maj Gen Thitirach.

The deputy commissioner added a growing number of fraud cases were related to Thai women being conned by foreign men, mostly from African countries, who pretend to fall in love with them and claim they plan to send them gifts. However, the women must first wire them money as a fee for clearing the gifts through customs.



Bangkok post (01-09-2014)

[Oytopikos]

Two Pakistani nationals were arrested in Thailand for forging and selling fake passports that were allegedly used by international crime networks, authorities said Friday. The issue of forged passports has reportedly gained attention in the country since two passengers were found to have been travelling on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 with stolen passports obtained from a resort in Thailand.

Chatchawal Suksomjit, head of the Department of Special Investigation, said Friday that authorities arrested two Pakistani men and two Thai women during a raid in Bangkok and seized a number of stolen and fake passports along with fake visa stamps for more than 40 countries, The Associated Press, or AP reported. Authorities also reportedly found several stolen documents, including identification cards and driver’s licenses. The raid was reportedly conducted after Thai authorities were tipped off by Australian authorities.

"The suspects we have arrested were working in a syndicate and considered a big dealer who can provide a number of fake passports to clients. Plus, they were wanted by many relevant authorities," Chatchawal said, according to AP. "These passports could be used by networks that could lead to people smuggling or other serious crimes."

The two Pakistanis, Shahzad Nazeer Butt, 46, and Khawaja Rizwan Haleem, 32, will reportedly face charges related to forging and selling fake passports, which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

ibtimes

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CRIME / ATM SKIMMER

Russian man nabbed for installing ATM skimmer

A Russian has been arrested for allegedly installing "skimmer" device to steal PIN numbers of cardholders who used an automatic teller machine (ATM) at a convenience store in eastern Bangkok



BANGKOK: 24-09-2014

The new device was said to be able to deter counter-skimmer measures that commercial banks in Thailand had devised to try to combat this type of fraud.

Each skimmer can be installed on an ATM in only 16 seconds, police sources said.


The suspect was identified as Anton Lilin, 30.

Police sources said he told them he would be killed by other members of the gang based in Russia if he revealed details of this crime to police.

Hua Mak police said they were looking for another Western-looking man seen with Lilin in surveillance camera footage, who had fled.

The suspect has been charged with possessing and using devices capable of stealing people's confidential data via electronic media or cards, and using forged media or cards with intent to steal, as well as illegal entry.

The sources said Lilin got anxious when stating that he belonged to an influential Russia-based racket and asked not to give further details apart from the fact that he and three compatriots had entered Thailand recently.

He was the group's technician tasked with installing the skimmer devices at ATM machines, which he said could be done in 16 seconds.

Tip-off from customers

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Hua Mak police said they had arrested Lilin last Monday in a stakeout following tip-offs a day earlier by customers of the 7-Eleven branch.

Lilin appeared to match video footage and there was another Western-looking man, who did not show up with Lilin on the night he was arrested.

Pol Major Pheerarat Yoma, a Hua Mak station officer, said Lilin and the three other Russians entered Thailand four months ago and resided in Chon Buri.

The ATMs targeted for skimmer installation were located in areas where withdrawals of large amounts of money were frequent.

The skimmer was found to have previously been used on a Siam Commercial Bank ATM, he said.

Lilin told police many skimmer sets had been installed on ATMs of various banks, but no details were available on which banks they were.

Interrogation of Lilin was ongoing, he said.

Bank clients' information including PIN numbers for their accounts would be saved and sent abroad, so that they could be extracted, processed, and eventually used to withdraw money from accounts, for which PIN numbers were stolen, Pheerarat said.

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CRIME / ATM FRAUD

Two Russian ATM Card Fraudsters caught by Pattaya Police









PATTAYA: 25-09-2014

On Thursday afternoon, Chonburi Transnational Crime Suppression Officers, based at Pattaya Police Station, announced the arrest of two Russian Nationals who were caught attempting to withdraw money from an ATM in Pattaya using cards containing stolen bank account information.

The Kasikorn Bank alerted Police to the fraudulent withdrawal of 20,000 Baht by the two men.

The transaction was allowed to be processed with the knowledge that Police were on their way to the ATM to arrest the two men.

Mr. Sergei Popov aged 27 and Mr. Evgenii Kurbatov aged 37 were arrested and taken back to their Hotel room where a total of 36 ATM cards were found along with 2 magnetic strip readers and a piece of paper containing four digit numbers which are presumably PIN’s for the cards.

During questioning the two men claimed they purchased the illegal ATM “Kit” from a man in Russia for 1,000 US Dollars.

They were told to travel to an Asian country to withdraw the money and chose Thailand.

Both men were charged with fraud and await Court appearances.

[Oytopikos]

Khon Kaen Immigration Police yesterday asked for information from lawyer Worapan Benjaworakul about an alleged scam involving fake marriage registrations in Nong Bua Lamphu's Non Sang district in which some 600 Thai women's names were sold to foreign men for immigration purposes.
Police will check on the foreign men involved in Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum and Maha Sarakham provinces, Immigration Police inspector Pol Lt-Colonel Anan Thongsuk said. Foreigners on a one-year marriage visa are normally required to report to the police every three months along with their spouses. However, Anan said these "married" men had not reported to police so far and the allegation might have some ground.

An accused former registrar claimed a female official at Tambon Non Sung Municipality had asked him to sign marriage certificates, after which she would give him Bt1,000 or Bt2,000. He said the official claimed to have been contacted by a Bangkok woman who wanted a name list of Thai women for marriage registration to foreigners - and he later found out the official was paid Bt70,000 per case.

The Nation

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MARRIAGE SCAM IN NORTHEAST

Scam probe finds most foreigners used fake names

A police probe into Nong Bua Lamphu's fake marriage scam, in which 600 Thai women's names were sold for foreign men for use for immigration purposes, has found that most foreigners involved used fake names, an informed source reported yesterday.

The Immigration Police Command 4 (Nakhon Ratchasima) that initially probed the case has urged their Udon Thani - based counterparts to check any foreigners who may be involved.

If found guilty, the expats' visas would be revoked, they would face legal action and they could be blacklisted from re-entering the country, the source said.

Police suspected some might be involved in transnational drug trafficking.

A female former official at Tambon Noen Sang municipality, who was implicated by the former registrar in the scam, has dismissed claims she was a mastermind and supplied Thai women's names for fake marriages with foreign men.

She said she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing, and did not get paid for keying in the information for the former registrar.

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SPANISH CON MAN

Spanish Con Man Caught In Thailand


Immigration police made a statement about the arrest of a Spanish criminal fled to Thailand. He conned 5,000 people out of 500 Euros each.

BANGKOK

October 30, 2014  at 14.30 pm Pol.Lt.Gen.Sakda Chuenpakdee-acting commander of immigration- was accompanied with Pol.Maj.Gen.Warawut Thaweechaikarn-superintendent inspector of immigration, Pol.Col.Chengron Rimdee-superintendent of immigration office and Pol.Lt.Col.Suppachai Poldet-deputy superintendent who together made a statement about the arrest of Mr.Luis Batlle Vilaseca aged 54 from Spain with his fake Mexico passport.

The officers arrested him in Suvannabhumi airport on 29th of October.

Pol.Col.Chengron said that Thai police were notified by Spanish police officers to arrest Mr. Luis Batlle who traveled to Thailand without permission.

Therefore the police officers inspected Mr. Luis Manuel Batlle Costa who had a name like the suspect.

Later the police officers found out that Mr.Luis Batlle traveled from Cambodia to Thailand on flight number FD 619 of Air Asia airline. Plus the officers found fake a ID card and passport.

Pol.Col.Chengron added that Mr.Luis Batlle had been hunted by Spanish police because he cheated people by advertising on website that he would be able to provide jobs for South Americans to work in Europe. Mr.Luis Batlle had taken 500 Euros from each of the 5,000 victims.

Meanwhile MR.JAKTAR SINGH TARA who was an Indian car bomb terrorist traveled to Thailand on the 7th of September but Indian officials only notified Thai officials on the 15th of September. However Thai police are now hunting him.

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DANISH FUGITIVE ARRESTED

Danish fugitive expat arrested in Phuket for B45.7mn tax-evasion case


Danish national Peter Jensen, 48, was arrested yesterday morning in Phuket on an international arrest warrant for tax evasion.

PHUKET: A Danish expat has been arrested in Phuket on an international arrest warrant for tax evasion involving more than 8 million Danish kroner (about 45.7mn baht).

Phuket Immigration Police received an order from the Thailand Immigration Bureau headquarters in Bangkok on October 28 to track down and arrest Peter Jensen, 48, as he was wanted by Interpol on an arrest warrant issued by the court in Hjorring, Denmark, explained Phuket Immigration Chief Sunchai Chokkajaykij yesterday.

“Mr Jensen was arrested early this morning at a restaurant in Pa Khlok, after we were informed that he was seen there,” he said.

“Officers presented themselves and asked to see his identification.

Mr Jensen failed to provide any, so police arrested him and transported him to Phuket Immigation in Phuket Town.”

According to records, Mr Jensen arrived in Thailand on August 3, 2010 via Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.

He extended his permit-to-stay multiple times, with the last one expiring on April 24, 2013.

“He has been charged with overstaying his visa,” said Col Sunchai. “We are now in the process of handing him over to Interpol.”

Phuket Immigration officers told the Phuket Gazette that Mr Jensen was wanted for avoiding paying taxes on multiple occasions and under several companies, totaling up to about 8.3mn Danish kroner (45.7mn baht).

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BELGIAN FUGITIVE ARRESTED

Phuket police arrest fugitive Belgian



PHUKET

Immigration police have arrested a Belgian man who is wanted in his home country for trade in contraband and growing marijuana, police said.

Patrick Lagrou, 55, was arrested in Phuket on Saturday night by immigration police led by Pol Col Sanchai Chokkhayaikij, the Phuket immigration police chief.

Pol Col Sanchai said Mr Lagrou was wanted in Belgium for growing marijuana and was found to have accumulated wealth of about 25 milllion euros (about B1 billion) from trade in contraband.

He escaped arrest in Belgium and fled to Thailand, leading to his being apprehended in Phuket at the request of the Belgian authorities.

Mr Lagrou is being detained for further legal proceedings.

[Oytopikos]

MARRIAGE SCAM IN NORTHEAST

Scam probe finds most foreigners used fake names

A police probe into Nong Bua Lamphu's fake marriage scam, in which 600 Thai women's names were sold for foreign men for use for immigration purposes, has found that most foreigners involved used fake names, an informed source reported yesterday.

The Immigration Police Command 4 (Nakhon Ratchasima) that initially probed the case has urged their Udon Thani - based counterparts to check any foreigners who may be involved.

If found guilty, the expats' visas would be revoked, they would face legal action and they could be blacklisted from re-entering the country, the source said.

Police suspected some might be involved in transnational drug trafficking.

A female former official at Tambon Noen Sang municipality, who was implicated by the former registrar in the scam, has dismissed claims she was a mastermind and supplied Thai women's names for fake marriages with foreign men.

She said she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing, and did not get paid for keying in the information for the former registrar.

193 foreigners face visa revocation for faking marriage with Thai women

UDON THANI: -- The Udon Thani Immigration Office has identified 193 foreign men who have faked their marriage with Thai women to be eligible for one-year resident visa

Most of them are Indians and the rest came from Nigeria, Nepal, Cameroon and Iran. An official from the office said these 193 foreigners would see their visa revoked soon.




-- The Nation 2014-11-14

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FAKE CARDS - ATM SKIMMER GANGS

French skimmer gang members "bought fake cards in Phuket"

Saturday 7 March 2015



Police in Krabi the night 06 March arrested two French men believed to be members of an ATM skimming gang.

The two admitted that they had withdrawn money from ATM machines in Phang Nga and Krabi for two months before they were caught, using cloned cards they bought in Patong.

Adrien Char Baptiste Hemour, 21, and Julien Patrick Alandis, 22, both from Marseilles, were caught in possession of 227,350 baht in cash and 265 cloned ATM cards, which they said they had bought from a foreigner in Patong.

They were also in possession of six mobile phones, a Toyota Yaris car with Bangkok plates and three bags of marijuana.

The duo told the police that they bought the cards from “a black man” in Patong for 2,000 Euros (about 80,000 baht) and also bought marijuana from a bar worker in the same area.

Moves to arrest them started after a complaint was made to police by a bank in the area about withdrawals in January.

As other complaints came in police were able to identify the two from CCTV footage.

Krabi police commissioner Maj Gen Nantadech Yoynuan said that the police have yet to establish the identity of the black man who sold the pair the cloned cards, but believe he may be a member of a known skimmer gang, some of whose members have already been arrested.

Bank staff are working to total up the thefts from depositors who, they say, are mostly from abroad, not from Phuket or surrounding provinces.