KOTA BARU: The Malaysian man who was detained by Thai police in Bangkok on Thursday for impersonating a government officer and cheating an elderly man had previously worked at a casino in Cambodia.
A Thai police spokesman said the 26-year-old man told the officer that he had recently lost his job when the business stopped hiring foreign workers.
“The Malaysian man said he later found a delivery job in Thailand via Facebook.
“He claimed that he was only instructed to collect and deliver items for RM1,000.
“He also claimed the SIM cards found in his possession were for resale to tourists,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman added that the investigation by Thai police is ongoing, including identifying and arresting other members of the scam network.
It was reported that Thai police detained the Malaysian man for impersonating a government officer to collect cash from an elderly victim in a phone scam, which defrauded the victim of 3.3 million baht (RM426,000).
The suspect was arrested at a hotel on Soi Soranakorn 3 in Don Mueang district.
The spokesman said officers from the Don Mueang and Thung Khru police stations apprehended the suspect, identified as Tan, after an arrest warrant was issued by the court for fraud and impersonation.
Thai police also seized several items from the suspect, including clothing believed to have been worn during the crime, a black backpack, two mobile phones, several SIM cards, and three foreign debit cards.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
