Thai Police Arrest Chinese Suspect Tied to $75 Million Crime Network in Bangkok

Thai police arrested a 37-year-old Chinese man wanted in China over alleged links to an international crime network and money laundering. Investigators said the network handled more than 500 million yuan, about $75 million, in transactions. Police alleged he ran cryptocurrency and foreign currency exchanges for criminal groups across more than 133 accounts, and that he also arranged visas for members of international crime groups tied to other laundering cases.

How the Suspect Evaded Police

Investigators said he tried to avoid arrest by using forged documents to report his residence and changing vehicle registration plates before officers found him in a luxury house in Bangkok. His Thai visa had expired more than three years ago, so he will face legal proceedings in Thailand before authorities coordinate his return to China to face the outstanding warrant.

US-Led Crackdown on Crypto Scam Networks

In June, Coinbase froze more than $3 million in crypto tied to a global operation against cyber-enabled scam networks in Southeast Asia. The effort was part of Disruption Week, led by the US Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force. Meta, Microsoft and Starlink helped take down servers and hosting infrastructure, disrupting activity across more than 1.4 million social media and email accounts and leading to several arrests by the Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Center.