At 10am yesterday (Dec 25), AMLO Deputy Secretary-General Kamolsit Wongbutnoi, together with AMLO officers and Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) personnel, inspected the vessel at Yacht Haven Marina in Mai Khao.
The operation was carried out under temporary seizure Order No. Y.302/2568, AMLO reported.
The seized vessel is a 2017 ‘Atlas’ leisure yacht, registered in the Cayman Islands and equipped with full safety and luxury amenities. The yacht is valued at approximately B1.125bn and is among the key assets identified in the case against “Ms Taengthai and others”, an extensive online fraud and money-laundering investigation, an AMLO report explained.
AMLO explained that the action follows a Cabinet resolution issued on Oct 21 declaring the suppression of technology-related crimes a national agenda item. The seizure order for assets linked to the network was formally issued on Dec 22.
The ongoing investigation has already led to the freezing and seizure of assets worth more than B9bn, including another yacht flying a Swiss flag that was temporarily seized on Dec 2. AMLO’s financial tracing found that money used to acquire the vessels and other assets originated from online scam operations that relied on layers of proxy accounts, nominee owners and authorised third-party financial operators.
Further inquiries revealed that although the yachts are registered abroad, they are owned by Thai nationals, with some funds linked to Cambodian suspects before being channelled back into Thailand for business activities.
AMLO said the money trail clearly points to the beneficiaries of the criminal proceeds.
The case dates back to 2018 and now involves more than 90 related investigations, with additional assets still being examined. The operation is the result of close cooperation between AMLO and the Central Investigation Bureau, leading to arrest warrants, asset seizures and continued efforts to block criminal proceeds from re-entering the economy.
Under the seizure order, the temporary freeze is valid for up to 90 days. Any party wishing to contest the order must file a written request with the AMLO Secretary-General within 30 days of receiving official notice and provide evidence proving the assets are unrelated to criminal activity, AMLO noted.