Thai police have apprehended 45-year-old Wanchai, a suspect involved in an online loan scam that defrauded a prominent national footballer of nearly 2.7 million baht. The arrest was led by Police Major General Jirawat Payoongtham and executed by cybercrime officers under Police Colonel Adichat Amornpradit. Wanchai was taken into custody near his home in Nakhon Sawan on November 2, following a Thanyaburi Provincial Court warrant issued on February 19. He faces charges of conspiring to defraud the public and introducing false information into computer systems.
The case began in December of the previous year when a well-known Thai League midfielder searched for a loan online. He was deceived by a fraudulent website that posed as a legitimate financial service provider. Through a LINE account named RATCHAPHRUEK CAPITAL, the scammers engaged him, promising a 600,000 baht loan.
The footballer was instructed to pay various procedural fees, including a loan protection fee of 33,600 baht, credit insurance, and AI verification fees, eventually totaling 2.7 million baht. The scam continued until the victim grew suspicious after repeated demands and reported the matter to the cyber police.
Following investigations, authorities identified Wanchai as a key figure managing mule accounts for the criminal group. With substantial evidence in hand, officers arrested him. Wanchai has confessed to his role in the scam and is now in the custody of the Cyber Crime Division for further legal action, as reported by KhaoSod.