Thai Woman Detained at Airport for Assisting Nigerian Romance Scam Operation

A 52-year-old Thai woman, Orathai (surname withheld), was arrested at Hat Yai International Airport for allegedly aiding a Nigerian romance scam gang and laundering money linked to a massive 6.223 billion baht fraud case.

Orathai was taken into custody at 3:25 PM on Saturday, February 1, 2025 by immigration officers upon her return from Malaysia.

She had been on the run since May 7, 2020, when an arrest warrant was issued for her involvement in a transnational criminal network, money laundering, and supporting an unlawful operation.

Authorities had tracked Orathai to Malaysia, where she had been working, and monitored her movements, leading to her arrest upon re-entry. 

She told police she had returned to Thailand to visit her children.

Investigators revealed that Orathai’s bank accounts were used to receive 6.223 billion baht stolen by a romance scam victim, identified as Chamanan (surname withheld), a former financial manager. 

Chamanan was tricked by a gang member posing as an American soldier in Afghanistan and was manipulated into embezzling the funds from her company’s account, later transferring the money to Orathai’s accounts.

Orathai claimed she was unaware of the scam and insisted she had been deceived. She recounted meeting a Nigerian man in 2017 while working at a massage shop in Malaysia. 

He convinced her to open bank accounts for his supposed financial business, paying her 6,500 baht per account. 

She alleged that he had full control over the accounts and their transactions.

Police are continuing their investigation to uncover further links to the transnational scam operation.