Police arrested Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, the founder and CEO of iCon Group, along with 11 other company officials on charges of public fraud on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Warathaphon, 41, was taken into custody at the Consumer Protection Board office while providing a statement regarding the operations of his online sales business, which is under investigation for alleged pyramid selling and fraud. He declined to speak to reporters during the arrest.
Around 4 PM, officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and the Consumer Protection Police Division arrived at the office to execute the arrest. Earlier that day, the Criminal Court had approved arrest warrants for Mr. Warathaphon and 17 others, including several celebrities, on charges of public fraud and disseminating false information through a computer system.
Following the arrest, police searched Mr. Warathaphon’s home and office for evidence, after which he was taken to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).
Among the eight other high-profile individuals arrested on Wednesday were Panjarat “Boss Tan” Kanokrakthanaphorn, Tananont “Boss Mor Ek” Hiranchaiwan, Natpasorn “Boss Suay” Chatthanasor, Yasikan “Boss Soda” Ekchisanuphong, Nantharat “Boss Om” Chaowanapreecha, Thawinphas “Boss Win” Phupattanarin, Hassayanont “Boss Pop” Ekchisanuphong, and celebrity Yuranunt “Sam” Pamornmontri.
Earlier that day, police had searched the iCon Wellness Center in Bangkok, looking for “Boss Mor Ek,” a medical technician accused of falsely presenting himself as a doctor. He was not present but was later arrested.
Additionally, three more members of the iCon Group—actress Pechaya “Boss Min” Wattanamontree, Wilailak “Boss Oil” Jengsuwan, and Thanarot “Boss Off” Thitijariyawat—were apprehended, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to 12.
A source reported that Pol Maj Gen Montree Theskhan, the commander of the CSD, ordered building management to prepare rooms for interrogating the fraud suspects, with cleaning staff on hand to clean detention rooms. More arrests are anticipated, as 12 of the 18 suspects linked to the case have been apprehended so far.
