South Korea’s Ministry of Justice announced on the 8th that a Chinese national identified as Ham, 42, was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand, for allegedly leading a large-scale scam organization operating in Cambodia and for his suspected involvement in the so-called “University Student Murder Case.”
The arrest was carried out on the 7th through a joint effort involving the Ministry of Justice, the National Police Agency, and the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Authorities say Ham is the alleged mastermind behind a criminal group composed of Chinese and South Korean members.
According to investigators, from May to July of last year the group lured South Korean victims to Cambodia by advertising high-paying part-time job opportunities. Once the victims arrived, they were allegedly threatened with firearms, forced to surrender their bank account credentials, and coerced into participating in financial crimes.
Ham is also suspected of directly luring the victim involved in the “University Student Murder Case” to Cambodia, illegally detaining him, and ordering accomplices to assault and torture the victim, who later died.
South Korean authorities said they began tracking Ham’s movements and received intelligence from the NIS in November indicating that he had entered Thailand. An emergency extradition detention request was immediately filed with Thai authorities to prevent him from fleeing. This procedure allows authorities to detain a suspect before a formal extradition request is submitted.
Following close coordination with Thai prosecutors and police, investigators identified Ham’s location through joint meetings in Seoul and Bangkok, surveillance camera analysis, and communications tracking. Thai authorities then obtained a local arrest warrant and apprehended Ham at his hideout.
Because Ham is a Chinese national, officials said a formal extradition request and a criminal extradition trial in Thailand are required before he can be transferred to South Korea.
The Ministry of Justice stated it will formally seek Ham’s extradition and continue cooperating with domestic and international law enforcement agencies to apprehend all individuals connected to the “University Student Murder Case” and ensure they are brought to justice.
