Two Nigerian men and one 32-year-old Thai woman have been arrested in Thalang, a district in Phuket, Thailand, over alleged romance scam.
Phuket Express reports that the trio were arrested on Friday night after a raid on a residence in the Phatcharee Thalang Housing Estate.
The woman was identified as Kanyathanat Thotsatham while the Nigerians’ identities have not been disclosed.
In addition to the arrests, law enforcement seized 50 sachets of cocaine and a digital balance from the property.
Kanyathanat was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court for offenses related to public fraud and inputting false information into a computer system.
Investigations revealed that the two Nigerian men had overstayed their visas, with durations of 1,401 days and 1,728 days, respectively.
Inspector Pol Lt Col Pitthaya Thepmuang of the Tourist Police Sub-Division 3 explained that the arrested individuals were part of a romance scam ring, with foreign nationals, particularly from South Africa, being involved.
The scam involved the creation of fake Facebook accounts to deceive individuals in Thailand into making monetary transfers.
Further probes identified Kanyathanat as an accomplice within the gang, responsible for withdrawing and transferring funds to the bank accounts of a Nigerian ringleader residing abroad.
All suspects have been handed over to the Thalang police station for legal proceedings.
