Immigration police have arrested and charged two Liberian men for allegedly swindling a Russian man out of 200,000 baht in a black money scam.
Mcarthur Kerry and John Hill, both 40, were arrested outside a hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 6 in Klong Toey district, Pol Maj Gen Warawut Sawasdee, chief of the Immigration Police Bureau's investigation division told reporters yesterday. He did not say when the pair were arrested.
The pair were detained after a Russian man, who was not named, told police he had been cheated by the men, one of whom pretended to be a Ghanaian cabinet minister.
The Russian man said he had placed an advert online to sell his boat.
The Liberians contacted him and offered to buy the boat priced at US$1 million (31 million baht).
After the deal was agreed, the Russian was asked by the Liberians to give them 200,000 baht, saying they needed the money to secure the transfer of US$1 million from Ghana. The Russian agreed and wired the money.
The two suspects later met the Russian and gave him a briefcase they claimed contained US$1 million. However, they told him the banknotes were sprayed with a black chemical for security reasons. Before the banknotes could be used, the chemical must rinsed off with a solution costing US$300,000, they said.
The suspects asked the Russian to pay for the solution, promising to refund the money later.
The Russian then became suspicious and went to the police.
Pol Maj Gen Warawut said this type of fraud was common. He urged the public to exercise caution when making any kind of online transaction.
Meanwhile, an American national, wanted in his home country for making fake US passports, has been arrested by Chon Buri immigration police.
Police said Kwame Rasheed Jackson was arrested at a condominium in Pattaya, but did not say when the arrest took place.
Immigration Police Division 1 chief Pol Col Chayawut Chansomboon said Mr Jackson faces an arrest warrant in the US for producing counterfeit American passports.
His arrest was in response to a request made by the US embassy.
He entered Thailand on Oct 1, police said. Immigration police are in the process of deporting Mr Jackson back to the US.