Police arrested 51 Thais and 21 Chinese nationals from an accounting firm accused of establishing companies using Thai nominees for foreign businesses during a raid in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province on Wednesday.
The raid followed information regarding the accounting firm's registration of companies on behalf of foreign businessmen, Pol Maj Gen Thatphum Charuprat, commander of the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECSD), said on Thursday. The firm's name was not disclosed.
He said authorities plan to take legal action against 15 companies registered through the accounting firm for violating the Foreign Business Act.
Seized items included five title deeds, 332 company stamps and documents related to business operations and visa applications. The confiscated items were worth more than 150 million baht in total.
Police examine computers used by some employees of the accounting firm during the raid on Wednesday in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)
The operation followed the arrest of a Chinese suspect, identified only as Lee, who was wanted on a red notice issued by Interpol on charges of extorting money from Chinese nationals, causing damages of 14 billion baht. Lee and his accomplices established a firm to issue ID cards and visas, leading to numerous victims.
Following Lee's arrest in early March, investigators discovered he had also hired the accounting firm in Bang Phli to register foreign companies using Thai nominees.
The investigation found that the firm was owned by a Chinese woman, Yian Zhao, alias Venus. She operated from China, coordinating with Chinese clients via WeChat and using the names of Thai employees as nominees.
Pol Maj Gen Thatphum said that these foreign companies using Thai nominees caused significant damage to the country.
The arresting team had gathered evidence to seek court approval to search the two locations in Samut Prakan, resulting in the arrests of the 72 suspects.
