Thai immigration officials and police have arrested 11 Nigerian nationals following a major crackdown on a suspected online romance scam network operating in Muang Thong Thani.
The arrests came after months of investigation triggered by a complaint from a woman in Nong Khai, who said she was swindled out of more than 2 million baht by a man she met online. The suspect allegedly posed as a Chinese engineer and built trust through Facebook and Line before convincing her to send money.
Investigators traced the stolen funds to several Thai “mule” accounts, which eventually led them to a condominium in Nonthaburi believed to be the base of a larger scam operation. When officers raided the apartment, they found suspects actively running the scheme and seized 34 electronic devices believed to have been used for the fraud.
In total, 13 people were arrested 11 Nigerians and two Ivorians with some suspects reportedly trying to escape during the operation. Authorities said eight of the suspects had overstayed their visas, while five allegedly entered Thailand illegally through Laos.
All suspects now face immigration-related charges, while police continue to expand the investigation. Authorities are also probing claims that some of the scam proceeds were converted to cryptocurrency and transferred out of Thailand, possibly to Nigeria.
The case highlights Thailand’s growing efforts to crack down on cross-border cybercrime and online fraud targeting unsuspecting victims.
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