No fewer than 11 Nigerians and two Ivorian citizens are cooling off in a Thailand cell after immigration and police officers busted a suspected international romance scam syndicate operating from a luxury condominium in the Muang Thong Thani area.
The suspects, arrested during an early-morning raid, were part of a 13-member fraud network allegedly involved in online romance scams targeting Thai and foreign women.
Thai media reported that the arrests occurred on Monday at a condominium in Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi province, following a complaint from a Thai woman who said she was defrauded of over two million Baht by a Facebook user she believed to be her romantic partner.
The suspect, who allegedly posed as a Chinese engineer identified as “Bingwen Fu,” reportedly built an emotional relationship with the victim before claiming he could not access funds for a construction project.
Authorities said police traced the suspicious transactions, arrested Thai account holders, and uncovered the wider organized network behind the scam.
“The group operated from a condominium in Nonthaburi, with members assigned roles such as scammers, money withdrawers, and account recruiters,” the report said.
Acting on intelligence, Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Phanumas Boonyaluck ordered a joint operation that led officers to the hideout, where suspects were allegedly caught conducting live romance scams on laptops and mobile phones.
According to the agency, eight suspects had overstayed their visas, while five Nigerians admitted to entering Thailand illegally through the Lao border. They now face charges related to immigration violations in addition to fraud allegations.
During the operation, police seized 34 electronic devices, including computers and smartphones, said to contain evidence of coordinated online scams involving the impersonation of wealthy European and Asian nationals.
Investigators also uncovered evidence linking the syndicate to the Nong Khai romance scam case and traced part of the proceeds to Nigeria through cryptocurrency transactions.
Thai police authorities said investigations are ongoing to identify additional suspects, trace financial flows, and dismantle the wider network linked to the syndicate.
