Bad News for Con Artists in Thailand...

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REAL ESTATE / PROPERTY SCAM

An American arrested in Bangkok over multi-million dollar US property scam



BANGKOK: 10-03-2015 / Thai Immigration Bureau

Joseph Arsenault, an American national and resident of New York, has been arrested in Bangkok for his involvement in a telemarketing scam, which netted fraudsters more than US$20 million from 290 victims in the US and Canada.

Arsenault, who was charged with rape and drug possession in 2007 and previously had a failed career as an actor, was one of 16 individuals involved in the scam to be charged in the United States in November 2014.

The scam involved the gang making unsolicited calls to addresses across 46 states in the US and in Canada, where they claimed they were able to be able to sell property located in Detroit at knockdown prices, which could then be resold to foreign investors and venture capitalists for big profits.

However, despite victims being led to believe that the purchase of property was a profitable way of buying and flipping homes in Detroit, the whole thing was a scam.

There were no profits and each property purchased was transferred to a holding company controlled by the fraudsters.

Some victims went onto ‘invest’ in multiple homes with the fraudsters.

The FBI has described how gang members frequently changed their names to avoid arrest and being tracked down by people who had invested in the property scam.

In November the gang were charged with operating a fraudulent telemarketing scheme, along with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit international money laundering.

Speaking of the scam, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade said:

“This nationwide telemarketing fraud not only caused millions of dollars in losses to victims of the scheme, but it also contributed to blight in Detroit neighborhoods.

“Thousands of homes were left to fall into decay as a result of these individuals using Detroit real estate as a commodity to accomplish their fraud.”

Special Agent Paul M. Abbate also commented on the case saying: “The perpetrators in this case stole millions of dollars from hundreds of victims.

“However, they did more than steal money—their greed and fraud compounded the proliferation of vacant homes left for ruin in far too many Detroit neighborhoods.

The FBI is committed to rooting out and bringing to justice those who would commit crimes of this nature and act against the interests of our communities.”

Another member of the gang, Gregory Swarn fled to Thailand using a fake passport shortly after being charged.

However, the FBI, along with the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) located Swarn in Thailand last year and were able to deport him back to the United States.

At the time of his arrest, Swarn was on the DSS Most Wanted List.

Another member of the gang, and a known associate of Swarm, is Erez Arsoni, who is also thought to have fled overseas, however, it is not known if he is in Thailand currently.

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OVER 1000 FAKE PASSPORTS

Iranian man arrested with over 1,000 fake passports



BANGKOK: 19 - 03 - 2015

DSI busts fake passport syndicate

THE Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday arrested an Iranian as it cracked down on a syndicate engaged in making fake passports, and possibly linked to international human trafficking.

S Rafil Bonda, a 45-year-old Iranian, was arrested in Chon Buri's Tambon Nong Prue and charged with stealing, receiving stolen properties, making fake documents, passports and visa stamps or stickers, said DSI chief Suwana Suwanjuta.

The Iranian is a key man in the syndicate that has been doing this business in Thailand for more than 20 years, she said.

Officials seized 1,053 passports of more than 60 nationals around the world, stolen and illegally made by the gang as well as equipment from one of his houses, in Pattaya.

An electronic device for personal data storage and his smart phones, which contain some information on his customers, were also confiscated.

"Front business"

The gang purchased stolen passports from around the world and reproduced them in Thailand for their customers, she said.

The DSI has been on the trail of fake passport-making syndicates for a long time and tracked down many Iranian groups involved in facilitating human trafficking from the Middle East via Thailand to Europe, North America and Australia, Suwana said.

The gangs open a "front business" in the Kingdom and use Thai people as business managers, messengers and staff, she said.

The DSI is now seeking extradition of Paknejad Siyes Ramin from Malaysia as he was arrested there after fleeing a Thai court years ago, she said.

The DSI has managed to root out many Iranian syndicates involved in making fake passports over the past years, she said.

In recent years, Thai courts have sentenced at least nine Iranians from two gangs for making illegal passports in Thailand.

Four persons, under a group led by a man called Tony, were sentenced to as many as 31 years in prison while persons in other groups were sentenced to not less than 10 years, she said.

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ONLINE LOVE SCAM

Four Nigerians arrested in online love scam

Pathum Thani: 15 May 2015



Four Nigerian men have found that the same old trick of impersonating handsome farang and parcel of gift mailing still worked on certain Thai women.

The only problem was that the trick led to their arrest by Tourist Police soon after.

The arrest of the four Nigerians was announced by Tourist Police Division Commander Pol Maj Gen Apichai Thiamart at his division head office at 11 am Friday.

The four suspects were paraded at the press conference.

They were identified as Elijah Okuderi, 31, David Chukwudi, 31, Amaeru Chicollins Ndubuisi, 29 and Ibenarima Ejiroghene Owugan, 31.

They were arrested at their rented house in Prueksa 20 housing estate in Tambon Khukod of Pathum Thani’s Lam Lukka district.

Apichai told the press conference that the Tourist Police made the arrest following a complaint by a Thai woman in April.

The victim, whose name was withheld, told police that she met a man online via chat application and the man claimed to be a white American, called Kelvin David.

After a while, the man told her that he had mailed her a parcel through a transport firm.

Later on, a woman called her, saying she worked for an international transport firm that handled a parcel that was sent to her.

The woman also mailed her a photo of the parcel and told her that she needed to pay Bt160,000 for customs clearance.

She transferred the money to her and found out later that she was deceived.

Apichai said his subordinates carried out an investigation and found out that the farang David was actually Okuderi.

Police obtained an arrest warrant against him and his accomplices on April 25.

Okuderi said he used to play for Angthong AFC, a team of Thai League Division 1, but he later suffered a knee injury so he decided to form an online scam with his three friends.

Police are still hunting for the Thai woman accomplice.

[Oytopikos]

22 arrested for deceiving, causing nuisances to foreign tourists

The Nation May 21, 2015 4:09 pm

Twenty-two Thais have been arrested for causing nuisances to foreign tourist and luring them to be overcharged at jewellery shops and restaurants, Tourist Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Apichai Thi-amart said Thursday.
He said the group often intercepted tourists at the entrance to Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho and lied to them that the temples were closed and took them to venues where they were overcharged for goods and foods.

He said the group had damaged the country's reputation because the victims had posted messages on social media about their plights.

Apichai said the arrests were made after police sent undercover officers, who appear like foreign tourists, to the venues where the group's members were preying on tourists.

[Oytopikos]

PHUKET: Two Iranian men who used fake Turkish passports to allegedly rob guests at a Phuket resort were arrested on Samui yesterday and brought back to Phuket to face charges.

The case was an exercise in police perseverance.

The alleged theft of jewellery and an expensive watch from a room at the Dusit D2 Phuket Resort in Patong led police investigators from the holiday hub's Kathu Police Station to Phuket International Airport, where they identified the pair as Iranians, even though the men had used Turkish passports when checking in at the resort.

The theft took place sometime between 1pm and 5pm on March 29 at the D2, where the men called reception to make a small repair in their room then asked if the nearby room of a ''friend'' could also be open.

The men - Murad Mohammed Yahya and Wesam Kamal Murad - had previously pretended to be genuine ''friends'' of the people in the other room by riding up with them in a lift after check-in and engaging in chit-chat.

The pair headed off after the alleged theft to Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand, where they were arrested yesterday. Police had previously obtained warrants on the basis of the identification of the Iranians from their airport photos.

The two men have made no admissions and will face further questions from police.

Guests at D2 or at other resorts where the circumstances of thefts may have been similar are advised to contact Kathu Police Station.

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-resort-theft-suspects-nabbed-police-samui-23069/

[Oytopikos]

Ukrainian and Brazilian Busted for Shoplifting and Burglary in Pattaya


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PATTAYA – Ukrainian Slava Ocnach, 35, has been arrested for shoplifting from a Big C Mini shop on Soi Khao Talo in Pattaya Chon buri.

According to the Pattaya Mail Mr. Slava Ocnach, was taken into custody, were Police recovered several stolen items along with a cigarette pack filled with marijuana.



The Big C Store clerks accused the Ukrainian of stealing merchandise worth 2,547 baht.

They found him suspicious, but rather than confront the Eastern European, a clerk simply photographed his motorbike license plate and contacted police.

Ocnach had rented the bike from Sisima Chanda who gave police his contact information.
Brazilian Ray Fernando has been arrested for allegedly stealing a neighbor’s credit card and going on a shopping spree

Brazilian Ray Fernando has been arrested for allegedly stealing a neighbor’s credit card and going on a shopping spree

 

Meanwhile, Brazilian Ray Fernando, 59, was arrested for allegedly burglarizing a foreign neighbor’s Jomtien Beach apartment then using a stolen credit card to go shopping.



Ray Fernando was taken into custody Oct. 22 following the third-floor break-in at Building A of the original View Talay condominiums.

Searching the suspect, police found receipts and credit card slips bearing the number of a credit card reported stolen by Marina Demidenko who lives a few doors down from Fernando.

The Brazilian was charged with burglary, with credit-card fraud charges likely coming later.

http://www.chiangraitimes.com/ukrainian-and-brazilian-busted-for-shoplifting-and-burglary-in-pattaya.html

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X-ray check on lorry reveals haul of meth tablets

March 19, 2017







Police using an X-ray machine seized more than 1.1 million methamphetamine tablets hidden in a truck intercepted at a checkpoint on Highway 1 in Lampang’s Mae Prik district on Saturday.

Officers had manned the checkpoint following a tip-off that a large haul of drugs would be transported along the route.

The X-ray machine revealed the drugs hidden inside a bucket concealed under blue canvas spread over the bed of the truck.

Truck driver Sakda Srisod, 30, was arrested and charged with having illicit drugs in possession with intention to sell.

He allegedly said it was his second delivery of drugs, with Tak as his destination.

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Fake visas & fake documents for expats: Thai Visa Centre manager arrested

August 04,2020

Immigration police announced they have arrested a Thai woman who has admitted providing expats with fake visas at a well known company in Bang Na.

Immigration chief Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang said that his bureau had been investigating the Thai Visa Centre in Bang Na as it was well known in the expat community that it was the go to place for fake visa extensions and stamps. 

A search warrant was obtained by the Chachoengsao court and this was served at a house in the Minera Village in Soi Seri Thai 73.

They arrested a 34 year old Thai woman with a Western surname (surname withheld).

She reportedly has admitted providing fake visas using fake documentation.

She was found in possession of 55 fake rubber stamps and fake documentation. 

The woman said they had been at the house for three years. She had set up Thai Visa Centre.

She is in the hands of the Bang Chan police.

The woman was originally known as Sirintara Kiratikanyarat and under this name in 2017 appeared on national TV on behalf of The Voice Foundation, an animal welfare group.

Source: https://www.dailynews.co.th/crime