SUVARNABHUMI — Thai cyber police have arrested a 33-year-old South Korean man at Suvarnabhumi Airport for his alleged role in laundering cryptocurrency into gold bars for international scammers, just one day after Thailand extradited a Chinese hacker accused of stealing over $29 million from victims including BTS member Jungkook.
The arrest of Mr. Han came following coordination between Thai and South Korean law enforcement agencies, with both countries apprehending key suspects in major cybercrime cases within days of each other.
Arrest at Arrival Gates
Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division received intelligence from South Korea that a suspect in a major fraud case would be traveling from Seoul to Thailand on August 23. Officers immediately set up surveillance at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s arrival gates, leading to Han’s arrest upon landing.
Han faces multiple charges including conspiracy to defraud the public, impersonation by entering false data into computer systems, money laundering, and operating an illegal lottery. An arrest warrant was issued against him on February 6, 2025.
During the arrest, police seized Han’s mobile phone containing evidence of multiple cryptocurrency platform accounts and other materials related to money laundering operations.
The Scam Operation
The criminal scheme began in February 2024 when multiple victims reported being recruited for social media engagement jobs – supposedly earning money by liking posts and increasing follower counts on various pages. Victims were then persuaded to participate in “special activities” requiring upfront investments, with promises of 30-50% returns.
Initially, the scammers provided legitimate returns to build trust, but when victims invested larger amounts, they found themselves unable to withdraw their money from the system. Upon discovering they had been defrauded, victims filed complaints with the Technology Crime Suppression Division.
Police investigations led to the arrest of 10 individuals: 5 money launderers and 5 “mule” account holders. Further investigation identified Han as a key figure in the laundering operation.
Crypto-to-Gold Laundering Scheme
While Han has denied the charges, he admitted to studying in China for six years before returning to work for a South Korean company that specialized in converting various digital currencies into gold bars for scammers.
His role involved opening cryptocurrency platform accounts to receive funds from scammers. His company would then purchase gold bars from international suppliers and deliver them to the criminal organizations.
Each laundering operation involved converting cryptocurrency worth at least 10 kilograms of gold (approximately $1 million). Analysis of Han’s crypto accounts revealed that between January and March 2024 alone, he received approximately 47.3 million USDT, believed to have been laundered into gold bars for the scammer network.
Hacker Extradition Case
The arrest occurred just one day after Thai immigration police extradited a 34-year-old Chinese national from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport. The Chinese suspect is accused of leading a hacking organization that stole over 38 billion won ($29 million) from Korean victims, including BTS member Jungkook.
According to the Korea Times, South Korea’s Justice Ministry tracked the suspect’s movements with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Interpol, confirming he had entered Thailand in April. Working through the Southeast Asia Justice Network and Interpol, the ministry filed an emergency extradition request with Thai authorities, who detained and handed him over to Korean law enforcement.
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