The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has submitted four prominent case files to the prosecutor’s office for consideration to file lawsuits seeking court orders to seize assets worth 13.074 billion baht. The Director-General of the Special Case Office confirmed the review will definitely be completed within the 90-day timeframe.
At the Special Case Office on Ratchadaphisek Road at 11:00 a.m. on 17 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Kamonsit Wongbutnoi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), together with Mr. Witthaya Neetitham, Assistant Secretary-General and spokesperson for AMLO, presented investigation files of four significant cases involving technology crime, transnational crime, and money laundering totaling approximately 13.074 billion baht to prosecutors at the Special Case Office. The prosecutors were to file petitions requesting the court to order the assets to become state property. The files were received by Mrs. Yaowalak Nontakaew, Director-General of the Special Case Office.
The four cases AMLO decided to forward to prosecutors to request court orders for asset forfeiture to the state are: 1. The case involving Ms. Tangthai Banmahings and Mr. Yim Liak and associates, where officials found transaction data linked to Mr. Ben Smith, who is suspected of fraud against the public. AMLO submitted a petition to seize 68 assets including land, condominium units, vehicles, yachts, and cash valued at about 12.123 billion baht.
2. The case of Mr. Chen Zhu, founder and chairman of the Prince Group, and associates, involving online fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering through digital currencies. AMLO submitted a petition to seize 68 assets valued at 345 million baht to become state property.
3. The case of Mr. Ge An and associates, charged with participating in a transnational criminal organization and money laundering, with assets worth 560 million baht to be seized.
4. The case to seize assets of Mr. Ua-angkorn Santirak Yothin and associates totaling 46 million baht to become state property, involving soliciting public investment in stock trading via a Line group.
Mr. Sawat Aphairat, spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, stated that today marks the submission of all four case files valued at over ten billion baht to the Office of the Attorney General for legal proceedings. He expressed confidence that the Special Case Office prosecutors responsible will conduct asset examinations and file petitions with the court within the prescribed timeframe, assuring the public of fair handling.
Mrs. Yaowalak said that the four files will be assigned to the responsible case units to establish working groups to verify assets and facts, with AMLO assisting in data collection. She confirmed completion within the 90-day deadline. She noted that these are civil cases, not criminal, so affected parties cannot file petitions for justice; the process is solely at the discretion of the prosecutors.
Mr. Kamonsit added that AMLO’s administrative committee ordered temporary asset seizures starting 2 Dec 2025 GMT+7, so the 90-day timeframe counts from that date, ending by 1 Mar 2026 GMT+7. He expressed confidence the Office of the Attorney General will complete its review on time without issues. He declined to disclose whether the four cases are financially connected, citing case confidentiality, but confirmed they are separate cases involving similar scammer networks.
Mr. Witthaya explained that today’s submission concerns asset-related proceedings in underlying criminal cases, which are separate from the criminal prosecutions handled by the Central Investigation Bureau. Therefore, AMLO is not involved in criminal prosecutions but coordinates case information with the police. Once cases proceed to court, judgments will be rendered, with appeals concluding at the Supreme Court level.
Mr. Witthaya also said AMLO plans to publish a notice in the Royal Gazette to allow victims in all four cases to file claims to protect their rights, leading to asset distribution soon. The claim period will be 90 days from the announcement date. AMLO will compile victim claims to submit to prosecutors, who will then petition the court to safeguard victims’ interests, preventing victims’ property shares from becoming state assets.