Police have apprehended four Thai nationals and two Nigerian men involved in running large-scale romance scams and laundering money through mule accounts for foreign criminal organizations.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) announced on Thursday that the arrests were part of an operation named “Black Horse Down,” which began in October following multiple complaints. To date, the gang has defrauded victims of over 50 million baht.
The Criminal Court issued eight arrest warrants, resulting in police raids at five locations in Bangkok on October 8. Among those arrested were three Thai women, a Thai man, and one Nigerian man.
On Wednesday, DSI learned that a sixth suspect, a Nigerian man identified only as Christian, was being held by Immigration Police for visa violations. The DSI took over the case, transferring him to their custody. According to DSI investigators, Christian is the ringleader of the group, which has orchestrated transactions worth over 1.2 billion baht across more than 1,000 mule bank accounts. These accounts were also linked to foreign gangs, including call centers, drug dealers, and other romance scammers.
The arrested suspects face multiple charges, including public fraud, uploading false information to a computer system, and money laundering. The DSI is continuing its investigation and collaborating with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to uncover additional accomplices and criminal networks involved in the operation.
The department has also issued a warning to the public not to open bank accounts for others in exchange for money or benefits, as such actions violate the Emergency Decree on Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Technological Crimes of 2023. Those found guilty can face up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to 300,000 baht.