PHUKET, THAILAND – Thai cybercrime officers working with the FBI arrested an Eastern European hacker on the island of Phuket and recovered 432,000 USDT stolen from six victims.
Operation 293: Coordinated Hunt in Phuket
On 10 November, investigators under Operation 293 targeted a suspect identified by the FBI as hiding in Phuket Province. The alert reached the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) in Bangkok, which traced the man’s movements through financial data supplied by exchange Bitkub.
“The suspect came from an Eastern European country,”
said General Suraphon Prempoot, Chief of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau.
According to General Suraphon, cooperation with Bitkub helped his team freeze digital wallets holding the hacked funds within hours of detection. The suspect had attempted to move assets through multiple crypto accounts to conceal the transfers.
The Crypto Malware Scheme
Investigators reported that the hacker infected the computers of six identified Thai victims, stealing their login credentials to cryptocurrency wallets. The stolen assets exceeded 100,000 USDT, equivalent to 3.2 million baht, and were converted into USDT and Bitcoin before being shuffled between anonymous wallets.
Digital forensics teams based in Phuket and Bangkok monitored the blockchain flows for over 48 hours, culminating in the recovery of 432,000 USDT to the police-controlled wallet. Officials confirmed that forensic specialists from Tether, the USDT issuer, assisted by freezing associated addresses.
Recovery and Restitution
By 10 November, the CCIB transferred recovered amounts to two victims, with additional payments scheduled after judicial verification.
“Even sophisticated hackers cannot hide behind digital anonymity,”
said General Suraphon Prempoot, Chief of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau.
Officials described the case as one of Thailand’s most successful cross-border cybercrime recoveries to date. The coordination with the FBI and Tether marked what Thai authorities called a rare multi-agency enforcement breakthrough.
“This is one of our most successful international cybercrime recoveries,”
said General Suraphon Prempoot, Chief of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau.
International Cooperation and Legal Consequences
The FBI tip that traced the suspect to Phuket enabled Thai officers to initiate local arrest warrants under the Computer Crime Act. The individual faces multiple counts of illegal data intrusion and theft, each carrying sentences of up to five years imprisonment.
Authorities emphasized that Tether, Bitkub, and Thai forensic specialists from the Technology Crime Suppression Division coordinated blockchain tracking in real-time to reclaim the stolen crypto.
Authorities’ Warning to Crypto Owners
The CCIB used the operation as a warning campaign for digital asset holders across Thailand, releasing advisories through official government channels in Bangkok and Phuket. Officials urged users to enhance wallet security with hardware devices and to avoid storing seed phrases online.
Bulletins highlighted:
– Six Thai victims lost over 100,000 USDT (3.2 million baht)
– 432,000 USDT recovered to the CCIB police wallet
– 10 November 2024: first restitution transfers completed
– Joint agencies: FBI, CCIB, Bitkub, Tether
General Suraphon confirmed that the arrested hacker remains in custody under Thai jurisdiction and faces extradition requests coordinated with Interpol and the FBI. Thai prosecutors are preparing cybercrime indictments to be filed in the Bangkok Criminal Court later this year.
Authorities reiterated that Thailand will actively pursue transnational digital offenders who exploit its territory for laundering or concealment operations.
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