A 52-year-old Thai woman has been arrested at Hat Yai International Airport for allegedly aiding a Nigerian romance scam syndicate and laundering money linked to a massive fraud case totaling 6.223 billion baht.
Orathai (surname withheld) was apprehended on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 3:25 PM by immigration officers upon her return from Malaysia.
She had been on the run since May 7, 2020, when an arrest warrant was issued for her involvement in a transnational criminal network, money laundering, and supporting an unlawful operation.
According to authorities, Orathai had been working in Malaysia, where she had been tracked down by police.
They monitored her movements closely, eventually leading to her arrest upon her return to Thailand. Orathai claimed she had come back to visit her children.
Investigators revealed that Orathai’s bank accounts had been used to receive a staggering 6.223 billion baht embezzled by Chamanan (surname withheld), a former financial manager.
Chamanan was tricked by a scammer posing as an American soldier stationed in Afghanistan.
She was manipulated into embezzling the funds from her company’s account and subsequently transferred the money to Orathai’s accounts.
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During questioning, Orathai insisted she had no knowledge of the scam and was deceived.
She explained that in 2017, while working at a massage shop in Malaysia, she met a Nigerian man who convinced her to open multiple bank accounts for his supposed financial business.
Orathai claimed she was paid 6,500 baht for each account, and the Nigerian man had full control over their activities.
