Police Arrest Admin of 'Spell' Investment Scam Gang

Highway police arrested a young admin of the investment scam gang 'Spell', revealing a Chinese financier is behind it, with 30–40 admins causing over 200 million baht in damages per month, linked to the fraud case involving famous actress Esther in 2022. On October 7, 2026, Pol. Lt. Gen. Boonluang Phudungthin, Commissioner of the Highway Police, ordered Pol. Col. Wisuth Khamnonmuang, Commander of Highway Police Division 6, Pol. Lt. Col. Jirapan Maneerat, Inspector of Highway Police Subdivision 1, Division 6, and Pol. Lt. Col. Pantep Phongtheeramontri, also of Highway Police Subdivision 1, Division 6, to jointly arrest Yuththa (surname withheld), 33, under an arrest warrant from Samut Prakan Provincial Court No. 547/2022 on charges of 'jointly defrauding the public by pretending to be another person, entering false data into a computer system, and participating in a transnational criminal organization.' The arrest took place at the Nakhon Chai Tour rest stop in Takhian Subdistrict, Dan Khun Thot District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The arrest followed coordination from Bang Kaew Police Station requesting highway police assistance to track down Yuththa, who was found traveling from Nakhon Ratchasima to Chiang Rai, leading to a stakeout and eventual apprehension at the rest stop in Dan Khun Thot. During interrogation, Yuththa confessed that he graduated in computer studies and in 2021 volunteered to work for a scam gang operating near the border of Sa Kaeo province, serving as an admin under a Chinese financier who directed and planned the fraud. He explained that the admins create fake LINE and Facebook accounts to chat with victims in Thailand, build trust and intimacy, then persuade them to top up or invest via the online platform named 'Spell', emphasizing money transfers over actual goods purchases. Yuththa said he worked for about six months, managing to defraud victims of over 12 million baht, while the network, with about 30–40 admins, collectively defrauded victims of over 200 million baht per month. The 'Spell' platform launched around 2021, presented as an online shopping app offering a 'price-cutting' system where members participate to obtain goods at lower prices, claiming they would receive bonuses for participation. Members must deposit funds into the system before they can transact and receive returns, and the platform also encourages recruitment through a referral system. Later, complaints arose about the platform, and its contact channels and services became inaccessible. Moreover, the 'Spell' platform is the same one involved in the case where actress Esther Supreeleela filed a complaint with the Technology Crime Suppression Centre (PCT) in January 2022. Police investigated and traced the network behind the platform, leading to arrest warrants for gang members and masterminds, and discovered links to a transnational criminal organization. Consequently, Yuththa was handed over to Bang Kaew Police Station investigators for legal proceedings, while authorities continue to expand the investigation to apprehend other accomplices and related individuals.