PATTAYA, Thailand – Tourist police in Pattaya, working with Region 2 investigators, have arrested four suspects in a crackdown on a romance scam network involving mule bank accounts and cash withdrawal operations linked to overseas syndicates.
The arrests were made late on April 28 at a hotel in central Pattaya. Those detained include one Thai woman and three Nigerian nationals. Officers seized 12 mobile phones and 12 bank passbooks as evidence.
Police identified the Thai suspect as Patcharin, 41, who allegedly admitted to sourcing bank accounts for the group. She was reportedly paid around 2,000 baht per account and also handled withdrawals and transfers, earning a 10% commission—sometimes up to 30,000 baht per day.
Authorities say the group operated as part of a broader romance scam network, in which victims are deceived into sending money after forming online relationships.
Investigators revealed that once victims transferred funds into mule accounts, members of the network would quickly withdraw or move the money before sending it on to key operators in Nigeria, where it would be laundered.
Police believe the operation is part of a larger transnational criminal network with members both in Thailand and abroad.
All suspects have been handed over to investigators at Banglamung Police Station and face multiple charges, including facilitating illegal bank account use, providing unregistered SIM cards, and involvement in a criminal association.
Authorities said the operation is part of an ongoing nationwide effort to dismantle cybercrime networks, particularly those involving mule accounts and romance scams that continue to cause significant financial losses.
Investigations are ongoing to track down additional members of the network.
