Police Raid Luxury Villages, Break 6 Billion Baht Nominee Network
Police raided four luxury housing projects in Bangkok, exposing a foreign nominee network worth 6 billion baht tied to Chinese online gambling and scam gangs. Eleven suspects, mostly Chinese, were arrested, including individuals wanted for murder, fraud, and organized crime in China. Authorities have seized the properties and are working with Chinese officials for further action.
The operation, phase eight of the crackdown on foreign nominee networks, targeted 17 locations across four luxury projects: Bangna-Suanluang, Bangna-Wongwaen, Rama 9-Srinakarin, and Bangkok Athletics. Officers found 94 houses with land covering over 33 rai, held through 95 companies, with Thai nominees listed as owners. A total of 96 suspects were identified, leading to 95 cases, and police coordinated with the Anti-Money Laundering Office. Seized assets were valued at over 6 billion baht.
Among those arrested was Li Chao, who first entered Thailand in 2017 without a Chinese red notice. He later committed a triple murder in China linked to online gambling operations in Myawaddy and Shwe Kokko, fled to Cambodia to obtain a passport for $85,000 (about 2.8 million baht), and used that Cambodian passport to buy property in Thailand through a consultancy firm. A Thai employee of Li’s company said he only borrowed money online and was unaware of how his documents were used; police said they would pursue this matter firmly.
Other suspects included Chen, who holds passports from China, Turkey, and Cambodia and is wanted in China for fraud and cross-border solicitation from a 2024 case in Lishui, Zhejiang. Jiang possesses a Chinese passport and a St. Kitts and Nevis passport, wanted in China for online fraud in Tongzhou, Henan. Both Li Chao’s associate Liu and Jiang were partners in the Bangkok Athletics property worth 77-98 million baht and were arrested.
Additional partners identified were Bai, linked to the Bangkok Athletics property and wanted by Chinese INTERPOL for organized crime and online fraud, and Huang, associated with the Bangna-Wongwaen project and also a Chinese national sought by authorities.
Police are continuing to seize the properties, investigate further, and coordinate with Chinese officials on the case.
