The Immigration Bureau announced the arrest of a Chinese scammer who established a fake company to defraud investors of approximately 5 million baht. He fled a crackdown in Myanmar and hid in Thailand. Another case involves a Japanese national with an arrest warrant for joint fraud.
At 14:00 on 8 Jan 2026, at the Immigration Office in Muang Thong Thani, Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi province, Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nuchnarat, Deputy Commander of the Immigration Bureau, Pol Maj Gen Phanop Worathanatchakul, Commander of the Immigration Investigation Division and Secretary of the Immigration Special Operations Center, Pol Col Ratchot Chotikun, Deputy Commander of the Immigration Investigation Division, Pol Col Chaya Pahakit, Chief of the Investigation Group, and Pol Lt Col Komen Wannaboworn, Special Crime Operations Inspector, jointly held a press conference on the operation arresting foreign scammers in two cases.
Pol Maj Gen Phanthana said the first case involved the Immigration Investigation Division receiving a tip about a Chinese man showing suspicious behavior, using a luxury car and residing in a high-end housing estate valued over 20 million baht in the Bangkokkreet area, Bang Kapi district, Bangkok. The man mostly kept to himself inside his house. The investigation team coordinated with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Thailand and learned that the individual is Mr. Zeng Jin, 34, Chinese national, wanted by Chinese authorities under a warrant for "joint fraud against the public."
Mr. Zeng had set up a fake company called “Shell Company” to lure victims into investment scams. Initial losses are estimated at about 1.1 million yuan, equivalent to roughly 5 million baht. The scam operations were based in Manchua city, Myanmar, targeting Chinese victims. After a recent crackdown and arrests there, he fled to Thailand using a tourist visa to hide.
Later, investigators learned Mr. Zeng was residing in the luxury housing estate in Bangkokkreet. They obtained a criminal court search warrant, conducted a raid, and arrested him. They also seized his luxury home valued over 20 million baht, an Alphard vehicle worth over 4 million baht, and a special auctioned license plate valued over 3 million baht—totaling more than 27 million baht—to investigate whether these assets were acquired through illegal means. His visa was immediately revoked before he was detained and handed over to Chinese authorities for further legal action.
Pol Maj Gen Phanthana added that in the second case, investigators arrested Mr. Sakamoto, 39, Japanese national, wanted by Japanese authorities for "joint fraud against the public," in the Thonglor area of Bangkok.
Mr. Sakamoto allegedly impersonated a representative of an investment company trading online currencies through an application during 2023. Many victims suffered losses ranging from 500,000 to 1,000,000 yen each.
After the Japanese authorities issued an arrest warrant, Mr. Sakamoto fled to Thailand. Officials revoked his visa and detained him at Division 3, Immigration Investigation Bureau, pending extradition to Japan for prosecution.