Thai immigration and police operatives have arrested 11 Nigerians following the dismantling of a suspected international romance scam syndicate operating in the Muang Thong Thani area.
The arrests were made on Monday after investigators executed a coordinated operation that led to the arrest of 13 suspects in total, including two Ivorians.
A local Thai news outlet, Thailand News, reported the incident on Thursday, revealing that the syndicate was suspected of running online romance scams targeting women through social media platforms.
The investigation reportedly began after a Thai woman filed a complaint in 2025, claiming she was defrauded by a Facebook user she had been romantically involved with.
According to the report, the suspect had posed as a Chinese engineer identified as “Bingwen Fu” and convinced the victim to transfer over two million baht into a mule account under the pretext of funding a construction project.
The case was traced to a broader organised network after police tracked the transactions and identified the account holders used for the transfers.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate operated from a condominium in Nonthaburi, where members were assigned specific roles such as scammers, money withdrawers, and account recruiters.
Following intelligence gathered by the Immigration Bureau, Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Phanumas Boonyaluck ordered a joint operation that led to the discovery of the suspects actively conducting live romance scams on electronic devices.
During the raid, some suspects attempted to escape barefoot but were apprehended by security operatives.
Authorities confirmed that eight of the suspects had overstayed their visas, while five Nigerians entered Thailand illegally through the Laos border.
All arrested suspects now face charges relating to visa overstay and illegal entry into Thailand.
Police seized 34 electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones, which contained evidence of coordinated scams involving impersonation of wealthy European and Asian nationals to target Thai and foreign women.
Investigators also discovered links to the Nong Khai case and evidence that funds were transferred to Nigeria via cryptocurrency.
The report added that police are continuing investigations to dismantle the wider network and identify additional accomplices.
The arrests come shortly after another Nigerian was arrested in Thailand for alleged drug-related offences.
Earlier reports said a Thailand-based Nigerian, Ukoma Jefta Nuzbech, was arrested after allegedly fleeing an ongoing trial related to drug peddling in the Koh Pha Ngan area.
