11 Nigerians, Two Ivorians Arrested In Thailand In Major Romance Fraud Operation

Eleven Nigerian nationals have been arrested in Thailand after immigration and police operatives carried out a major crackdown on a suspected international romance scam syndicate operating in the Muang Thong Thani area of Nonthaburi Province.

The arrests were carried out on Monday during a coordinated operation by the Thai Immigration Bureau and Pak Kret Provincial Police.

Stay in Thailand reports on Thursday that 13 foreign nationals were taken into custody after security operatives raided a condominium believed to be the operational base of the syndicate.

Meanwhile, the suspects included 11 Nigerians and two citizens of Côte d’Ivoire. Several of the suspects reportedly attempted to flee the building barefoot during the early-morning raid but were intercepted by officers stationed around the premises.

Police said the operation followed weeks of investigation triggered by a complaint from a Thai woman based in Nong Khai province, who reported that she had been defrauded by individuals posing online as a Chinese engineer.

According to investigators, the suspects initiated contact with the victim through social media platforms, gradually built an online romantic relationship, and later convinced her to send money under various pretences.

The victim reportedly transferred funds on four separate occasions, losing more than 2 million baht (about N91 million) in total. Financial intelligence units later traced the transactions to mule bank accounts allegedly linked to a wider transnational criminal network.

Thai authorities said intelligence gathering revealed that the suspects were operating as a structured foreign gang with clearly defined roles. These reportedly included online romance scammers who communicated with victims, cash handlers responsible for moving funds, and individuals tasked with recruiting bank account holders, often referred to as “mules”, to facilitate the fraud.

Based on this intelligence, law enforcement agencies identified a condominium in Pak Kret district as the gang’s central hub and launched the joint operation on January 19.

During the raid, police seized 34 electronic devices, including laptop computers and mobile phones.

According to investigators, many of the devices contained active scam conversations, scripts used to deceive victims, and internal chat messages through which members of the group coordinated activities and alerted one another as the raid unfolded.

Authorities disclosed that eight of the arrested suspects were overstaying their visas, while five of the Nigerian nationals had no official record of legal entry into Thailand. Police said the five admitted to entering the country through the Lao border.

Investigators further revealed that members of the syndicate allegedly posed as wealthy foreign professionals to gain the trust of their victims.

Some of the suspects were said to be living with Thai partners, whom they allegedly persuaded to allow their personal bank accounts to be used to receive and withdraw fraud proceeds. The funds were subsequently converted into cryptocurrency and transferred overseas, police said.

Thai police authorities said investigations are ongoing to identify additional suspects, trace financial flows, and dismantle the wider network linked to the syndicate.