Police arrest fraud suspects

Police arrest fraud suspects

Thai authorities have arrested an Italian man and a French woman who are both wanted on fraud charges in their respective countries.

Stefano Raccagni, 38, an Italian national, wanted on fraud charges in his home country, is is taken before reporters at the Immigration Police Bureau in Bangkok yesterday. Mr Raccagni was arrested at a house in tambon Mae Hia, in Chiang Mai’s Muang district on Tuesday. PAWAT LAOPAISARNTAKSIN

The Italian was caught in Chiang Mai while the French national was picked up on Koh Samui.

Immigration police said yesterday that Italian national Stefano Raccagni is wanted in his home country for defrauding banks and finance companies out of more than 300 million baht.

Mr Raccagni, 38, is accused of being part of a human trafficking gang that smuggled people into the country and defrauded tax authorities and banks, Pol Col Chartchai Eimsaeng, deputy commander of the Immigration Bureau, said.

Police say he and his gang had allegedly operated 40 to 50 companies that swindled money from clients. He was arrested at a house in tambon Mae Hia in Chiang Mai on Tuesday, Pol Col Chartchai said.

Italian authorities were alerted five years ago to his business activities. He fled to Thailand to avoid arrest.

Meanwhile, Eve Paolleti, a French national, was arrested on Koh Samui also on Tuesday.

She is wanted in France for a 40-million-baht fraud involving house building contracts. Ms Paolleti and her husband were accused of operating a firm as a front to swindle money from clients. She arrived in Thailand on July 18 last year. Her husband was caught earlier in France.

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