Thai Woman’s Role in Nigeria Fraud Ring Ends in Hai Yai Airport Arrest

Crime Suppression Division officers arrested Ms. Orathai, 52, at the international arrival terminal of Hat Yai International Airport on Feb. 2, 2025.

HAT YAI —  Thai Police have apprehended a Thai woman at Hat Yai International Airport for her involvement in a massive romance scam operation run by her Nigerian husband, with fraudulent transactions totaling over 6.2 billion baht ($175.3 million USD). The arrest comes five years after the initial warrant was issued.

Crime Suppression Division officers arrested Ms. Orathai, 52, at the international arrival terminal of Hat Yai International Airport in Khlong Hoi Khong district, Songkhla province. She was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on May 7, 2020, on charges of criminal association, participation in transnational organized crime, conspiracy to commit fraud by impersonation, and money laundering.

The investigation revealed that in 2017, Orathai worked at a massage parlor in Malaysia, where she met her Nigerian husband through a colleague’s introduction. After their marriage, she lived with him while he covered all her expenses, allowing her to stop working.

Two years into their relationship, her husband claimed he wanted to establish a business in Thailand and requested her help in opening bank accounts for financial transactions, explaining that as a foreigner, he couldn’t do so himself. He offered 6,500 baht per account opened. The suspect proceeded to open multiple accounts and handed over complete control of deposits and withdrawals to her Nigerian husband.

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Police investigators discovered that these bank accounts were linked to a major fraud case involving Ms. Chamanant and associates, who had illegally transferred money from a company through multiple transactions, causing damages totaling 6,223,872,674.31 baht.

Authorities arrested Orathai when they learned she was traveling from Malaysia to visit her children in Thailand. During questioning, the suspect made a full confession to all charges. The case has been transferred to investigators for further legal proceedings.

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