KHON KAEN — Thai immigration police have arrested a Chinese national wanted by authorities in China for alleged contract fraud, after locating him hiding in a luxury condominium in downtown Khon Kaen.
Officers from the Khon Kaen Immigration Office’s Investigation and Suppression Unit and the provincial Tourist Police apprehended Zhou, 35, who was listed on Interpol’s database and wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Ministry of Public Security in Zhujiang City, China.
Pol. Col. Piyapong Ensan of the Tourist Police said investigators verified Zhou’s identity and travel documents before taking him into custody. He was later transferred to the Khon Kaen Immigration Office, where he was informed that his permission to stay in Thailand was revoked pending deportation to China. Thai authorities said they have notified the Chinese Consulate General, the Chinese Embassy, and Interpol.
According to Pol. Lt. Col. Sorat Wichayasut, Chief Inspector of Khon Kaen Immigration, Zhou is accused of defrauding the Qijiang District Public Health Office in Chongqing Municipality in August 2022. As the legal representative of Chongqing Xingcheng Industrial Co., Ltd., Zhou allegedly signed a construction contract with Chongqing Chuanzhou Construction Co., Ltd. for a tourism development project valued at 2 million yuan, but the company failed to fulfill the contract.
Investigators in China suspect Zhou may be involved in additional cases of contract fraud. Thai authorities said he will remain in custody while awaiting deportation proceedings.
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