BANGKOK — In a major operation dubbed “CIB Game On,” Thai authorities have arrested a Chinese-Myanmar couple running a sophisticated fake ID scheme that doubled as an extortion racket targeting Chinese nationals in Thailand.
Police Colonel Suriyasak Jirawat of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) revealed that the investigation began in late 2023 when a Chinese victim reported being extorted of 2 million baht by corrupt police officers. The victim had originally responded to a Facebook advertisement offering “legal” Thai ID cards for 1 million baht ($29,650).
The masterminds behind the operation were identified as Mr. Li Zhijun, 43, a Chinese national, and his Myanmar wife, Ms. Aye Sant, 30. The couple would arrange for victims to receive authentic-looking ID cards at a municipal office in Nakhon Ratchasima province with the help of corrupt local officials.
After obtaining the ID card, victims would be taken to apply for a passport at the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok. While waiting at a nearby coffee shop, three immigration police officers would “arrest” the victim for using a fake ID and demand 5 million baht ($148,220) to drop charges, later negotiating down to 2 million baht ($59,300).
Further investigation revealed that Li was also a fugitive wanted in China for a 15 billion baht ($445 million) fraud scheme involving 3,000 victims. He fled to Thailand in 2021 using a special ID card normally reserved for ethnic minorities who have lived in Thailand for more than 10 years.
The criminal network involved various players with specific roles: recruiters who lured victims, middlemen who obtained real ID cards later reported as lost, corrupt local officials who issued new cards, and four immigration police officers who conducted the extortion.
Li also established a company with Thai nominees located in Samut Prakan province, using brokers to register the company. The company had a clearly specified location, but upon investigation, authorities found no actual business operations, no physical office, and no employees.
They also discovered that the listed address was used by 14 other companies. The company partners were repeatedly the same Thai names. Police randomly summoned five of these listed partners, all of whom admitted they were not actual partners but were merely hired to establish the company. Authorities believe that further investigation will reveal more than 100 companies operating in the same manner.
On March 6, Police General Thatchai Pitanilabut, National Police Inspector General, along with other high-ranking officers announced the successful operation that targeted 11 locations across 7 provinces. Authorities seized numerous items including bank accounts, cash, phones, computers, vehicles, and nearly 200 documents.
The couple has been charged with multiple offenses including public fraud, inputting false information into computer systems, forging official documents, and supporting corrupt officials. Financial investigations revealed that the network’s companies had circulated 400-500 million baht ($12-15 million) within a year, with money flowing from illegal businesses along Thailand’s borders and scammer networks.
The four implicated immigration officers, who are currently in prison for a separate 10-million-baht extortion case from early 2023, now face additional charges of official misconduct and corruption in this new case.
Police Lieutenant General Jirapop Phuridet, Commander of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), stated that initially, Mr. Li will complete his prosecution in Thailand. Afterward, he will be extradited to China to face charges related to the Red Notice according to legal procedures.
“We have been consistently coordinating information with China throughout this process. Similarly, the investigative information for this case also came from China. Moving forward, we will continue to collaborate with China to eliminate criminals who have fled to hide in Thailand.
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