Bangkok: Cyber police have dismantled a Thai-black gang involved in international fraud, seizing over 215 million baht to return to victims of a Japanese company, marking the largest recovery in history.
According to Thai News Agency, the case involved a renowned Japanese company whose email was compromised. The perpetrators used a fake email domain to deceive the company into believing that their money receiving account had been changed. On April 25, 2025, the company was tricked into transferring more than 228 million baht via the SWIFT system to an account in Thailand. Shortly after the transfer, Mr. Wirakan, one of the accomplices, withdrew 13 million baht from the account. This prompted the Thai bank to contact cyber police, who froze the account, leading to an investigation. It was discovered that the fraudulent partner company was registered in Lat Krabang District, Bangkok, with three directors: Mr. Wirakan, Ms. Wilaiporn, and Mr. Anucha. Arrest warrants were issued, and the directors were apprehended on April 29.
The investigation unveiled that the mastermind behind the crime was Mr. Annest Onyebuchi, a Nigerian and husband of Ms. Pinyanan. He sent fake invoices via WhatsApp to deceive the Japanese companies and laundered the money through other companies in Thailand. On May 8, authorities arrested another suspect, Mr. Ibrahim, a Ghanaian national. He was involved in coordinating the receipt of money and sharing 5% of the profits with gang members. Upon learning of the arrests, he ordered the chat to be deleted and silenced.
Based on the investigation and evidence, police charged six suspects in the case with "joint fraud by impersonating another person," "joint money laundering," "joint participation in a transnational crime organization," "gangsters," and other related offenses under the Computer Act.
The 'Money Cash Back' project, 'Close the Horse Account, Get the Money Back,' reflects a proactive collaboration by the Cyber Police, which has successfully returned money to victims. This case marks the highest record of recovery, with over 215 million baht reclaimed.