Local authorities have vowed to seize more than US$1bil (RM4.07bil) in assets from a group accused of laundering proceeds from South-East Asia-based scam syndicates.
A criminal court issued arrest warrants on Tuesday for the alleged ring leader, South African Ben Smith, his Thai wife Cattaliya Beevor, Cambodian businessman Yim Leak and four others, police said.
Media reports have previously linked Smith, also known as Benjamin Mauerberger, to transnational scam operations in Cambodia, part of a multibillion-dollar illicit industry that has ballooned in the region.
Yim, who denies the charge, belongs to an elite political family and is the brother of a senior Cambodian police official.
Smith, Beevor, Yim and three others have fled Thailand, the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement.
Thai anti-money laundering officials and securities regulators told reporters on Tuesday that illicit proceeds from criminal enterprises were moved by the group through overseas financial firms before being traded for stocks on the Thai stock exchange.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) will seize assets, including shares worth more than 14 billion baht (RM1.68bil), and real estate, cash and vehicles valued at 21 billion baht (RM2.53bil), totalling more than US$1bil, police said.
The seizures included shares in major Thai firms, including Bangchak, one of the country’s biggest oil refiners, according to AMLO deputy head Kamonsit Wongbutnoi.
Bangchak said in a statement that the asset seizures concerned individual investors and business operations were unaffected.
Confiscated assets would go towards compensating victims of online scams, Kamonsit said.
The group of seven were charged with conspiracy to launder money and acting as a criminal organisation, police said.
Lanny Davis, a spokesman for Yim, said the accusations against the Cambodian businessman were “100% false”.
“There isn’t a shred of truth that he’s ever been involved in scam operations in Thailand, in Cambodia or anywhere else,” Davis said.
He said Yim denied the charge and challenged the Thai government to provide “any evidence of his knowledge or involvement” in scam operations.
An Oct 8 statement issued by Yim’s lawyers accused Thai officials of conducting a trial by media against him before he was charged.
It said Thailand froze more than US$600mil (RM2.45bil) in assets, including his family’s, without a hearing.
In February, Thai authorities ordered the seizure of assets worth more than US$410mil (RM1.67bil) from Smith and other individuals accused of fraud.
Thai opposition lawmaker Rangsiman Rome, who is being sued by Smith for defamation over comments he made about scams, said on Wednesday the fresh seizures and arrest warrants were “a positive development... even if it’s taken a while”. — AFP
