In Thailand, the police will go on trial for extortion of cryptocurrencies

[Man]

Thai law enforcement officers have detained six police officers and one civilian on charges of conspiracy and extortion of 165,000 USDT stablecoins from a Vanuatu citizen who came from China.

According to the complaint of the victim, named Sai, the police, together with a Chinese married couple acting as translators, organized a false arrest in order to extort stablecoins as a ransom. Police broke into Sai's home, presenting a fake search warrant. Officers seized mobile phones and a computer from the victim's family, and then threatened to charge them with hiring illegal domestic workers. For dropping the charges, the police demanded 10 million USDT.

Sai denied the allegations and said he did not have that kind of money. After taking his wife to the police station for questioning, Sai agreed to pay a bribe of 165,000 (5.6 million baht). After giving away the stablecoins, the family was able to take the mobile phones, but the computer could not be returned. Suspecting fraud, Sai hired a lawyer to investigate the case and sued the police officers involved. The deception was revealed and the police were detained.

The extortionists denied the charges against them and were released on bail pending trial. The National Anti-Corruption Commission took up the investigation of the case - within 30 days from the date of filing a complaint, the department is obliged to publish a report on the work done.

In April, a Phuket court sentenced five Russian citizens to two years in prison for extorting cryptocurrencies from tourists vacationing in Thailand. Last year, the country's authorities arrested four immigration officers who stole 30,000 USDT from a Chinese businessman.

 

[Man]

A group of Thai police officers organized a staged investigation and demanded 10 million USDT from a Chinese citizen in exchange for freedom and "closing the case"

A scandal erupted in Thai law enforcement agencies: seven suspects, including six police officers and one civilian, were detained on Wednesday on charges of staging an investigation and extorting cryptocurrency in the amount of $165,000 from a Chinese citizen who also has Vanuatu citizenship, reports Matichon.

A group of defendants posing as police tried to obtain 10 million USDT (a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar) under threat of legal prosecution. Two suspects, who played the role of interpreters, have not yet been found and put on the wanted list.

On October 30, a group of nine police officers and three civilians entered the home of a Chinese man named Sai, who lives with his wife and family members in Samut Prakan province. The attackers presented a search warrant with the seal of the court, which convinced the residents of its authenticity, as they could not read the text in Thai. Two suspects, the spouses Afatsara and Yun, acted as interpreters.

The group said that a Chinese national was allegedly involved in a passport forgery case that had already been heard by the South Bangkok Criminal Court. To avoid "further charges," Sai was offered to pay 300 million baht (about 10 million USDT) to close the case. He refused this demand, stating that he did not have such an amount and did not consider himself guilty.

After Sai's refusal, the criminals reduced the demands to 10 million baht. He and his wife were taken to the building of the government complex, where negotiations continued. Under pressure and threats, Sai eventually agreed to transfer 5.6 million baht worth of cryptocurrency. On October 16, he made two transfers to Afatsara's wallet: first for 9,253 USDT and then for 140,000 USDT.

After receiving the money, the criminals organized a fake video in which Sai and his relatives confirmed that "no illegal actions were revealed." However, the scammers did not return the computer, leaving only phones to the victims.

A week later, Afatsara contacted Sai's Chinese friend using his Telegram account and demanded another 700,000 baht for information about who had originally reported him to the police. Deceived and tired of threats, Sai's friend transferred 20,895 USDT, but did not receive any information.

After losing significant funds, Sai contacted a lawyer and filed a police report on October 22. A joint investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Cyber Police revealed the involvement of 12 people. On October 30, seven were arrested, including police officers of various ranks and departments, such as the Tourist Police and the Consumer Protection Authority:
* Colonel Chanachai, 41, Kamsakaeseng Police Station, Nakhon Ratchasima;
* Captain Amnui, 42 years old, Samrong Thai Police Station, Samut Prakan;
* Staff Sergeant Chayapon, age 43, Tourist Police Department;
* Staff Sergeant Pornthep, age 46, Office of Consumer Protection;
* Staff Sergeant Manaswi, 41, Tourist Police Department;
* Staff Sergeant Siam, age 49, Police Department Saraburi Province;
* Citizen Tavut, 43 years old.

Three cyber policemen - Captain Thanakrit, Staff Sergeant Suphan and Sergeant Kittipum - voluntarily surrendered to the police on October 28. However, Afatsara and Yun, who acted as interpreters, remain wanted.

The defendants deny guilt and requested 15 days to file written statements. The court temporarily released them on bail based on the money and property they had deposited. The case will be referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which will complete the investigation within a month.