CHIANG MAI — Police have arrested a four-member scam ring consisting of Chinese and Thai nationals while they were withdrawing cash from an ATM at Central Chiang Mai Airport shopping center, seizing over 1.5 million baht in evidence.
Police Colonel Krittapol Yeesakorn, Commander of Provincial Police Region 5, announced Wednesday that the suspects were caught in the act on August 25. The arrest netted 1,539,000 baht ($47,395) in cash, five mobile phones, six bank account books, and transaction slips.
The arrested individuals include two Chinese nationals – Mr. Zhang, 37, and Mr. Yi, 29 – who served as money collectors. Two Thai nationals were also detained: Ms. Warimon, 33, who recruited bank account holders and supervised operations, and Mr. Sarapong, 27, whose bank account was used for the withdrawals.
During interrogation, the Chinese suspects confessed to receiving orders from an unnamed Chinese boss to collect cash from withdrawal teams. They reportedly earned 45,000 baht ($1,385) monthly, deducted from the money they handled. The pair claimed to have conducted similar operations three times previously, processing approximately 5 million baht ($153,980) total.
Ms. Warimon told police she received instructions via LINE messaging app from “Mrs. Meme,” described as a Lao national. Her role involved coordinating meetings, escorting account holders to banks, and delivering collected cash to the Chinese operatives. She admitted to participating in a previous operation involving over 4 million baht ($123,185).
Mr. Sarapong said this was his first involvement in such activities, recruited by Ms. Warimon with promises of 8,000 baht ($246) per withdrawal transaction.
Investigators have linked the case to one victim who filed a complaint with Phuping Police Station. The seized amount corresponds to her reported losses.
All four suspects face charges including conspiracy to defraud the public, computer crimes violations, illegal financial account operations, and running unauthorized lotteries.
Colonel Krittapol noted that intelligence suggests scammer networks are relocating from Cambodia’s Poipet border area to Vietnam, increasingly targeting Thailand’s northern provinces with sophisticated schemes tailored to different victim demographics.
The investigation continues as authorities work to return seized assets to the victim and pursue additional network members.
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