Four Chinese nationals, who allegedly defrauded fellow Chinese of 5.4 billion yuan (about 27 billion baht) before fleeing to Thailand, have been arrested by the Immigration Bureau (IB).
The suspects were identified as Gu Tian Long, 33, Wang Jian Jun, 43, Qiu Ling Me, 39, and Nong Kai Ming, 42.
They were accused of each having opened a finance or trading company in China and luring people to invest in them, according to Pol Maj Gen Surachte Hakparn, the IB’s newly appointed commissioner.
Mr Gu allegedly owned Gaiwang Financial Services Ltd, Mr Wang Baiyimao Financial Services Ltd, Ms Qiu a branch of Baiyimao Financial Services Ltd and Mr Nong the Nanhai Zhiheng Import and Export Trading Company.
The four managed to entice large investments from customers who hoped to gain high dividends from their shares in the companies. After that, the suspects closed down the firms and fled to Thailand with the money, according to police.
However, details of when and where they were arrested were not available.
The suspects operated the firms in three Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Yunnan and Shandong. Police said Ms Qiu and Mr Nong had used Myanmar passports to enter Thailand.
According to the IB, the Chinese government has paid close attention to the case as the fraud has taken place in many Chinese provinces with the damaged parties numbering over 100,000.
Meanwhile, the police centre for combating technology crimes announced the arrest of Geunho Cho, 56, a South Korean fugitive wanted on multiple rape and assault charges in his country.
The centre said that South Korean police cooperated with their Thai counterparts to apprehend the suspect at his rented house in Saphan Sung district of Bangkok on Sept 26.