According to a report posted on the bureau’s official Facebook page on Thursday (Aug 3), CIB officers apprehended the suspect at Freedom Beach in Phuket. The man was referred to as Mr Ekapol in the report, with his family name not revealed.
The CIB launched an investigation into an alleged investment scam in 2022 after several victims came to Tao Poon Police Station in Bangkok and lodged reports.
The victims described falling prey to an investment scheme that eventually turned out to be fraudulent. The financial losses sustained by the investors tallied to hundreds of thousands of Thai Baht.
The specific timing of the CIB taking over jurisdiction from Tao Poon Police has not been disclosed. However, the arrest at Freedom Beach was conducted by officers from this bureau, renowned for its expertise in handling special cases and boasting the country’s premier SWAT units.
Following his arrest, Mr Ekapol admitted to having opened two bank accounts for a "friend" from Myanmar, for which he received a payment of B2,500 per account.
Thai media sources additionally indicate that Mr Ekapol stated he was unaware that his "friend" intended to employ the accounts for fraudulent activities. This statement, however, was not present in the original CIB report. Instead, the agency stated that Mr Ekapol was arrested on charges of "participating in fraud and entering false data into a computer system resulting in harm to others.”