PHUKET, THAILAND – Police on the holiday island of Phuket arrested a Russian suspect who allegedly withdrew large sums of cash stolen from vulnerable victims in phone scams.
Cash withdrawals under surveillance
A 41-year-old Russian national named Anton Kurchenko came under investigation by Thai police. Officers monitored his movements in front of a supermarket on Ta-iad Lane in the Chalong area, where they observed behavior they considered suspicious.
The man repeatedly went to ATMs and withdrew large amounts of cash. According to police, the machines dispensed money 16 times while officers documented each transaction in detail.
Proceeds from phone fraud schemes
Police seized a total of 331,000 baht already in the suspect’s possession. Investigators stated that the money came from 16 separate cases of telephone fraud.
According to police, the gang for which the Russian was allegedly working caused losses of more than 790,000 baht overall. Investigators said they were convinced he was withdrawing the cash to launder it for a criminal network.
Arrest in Rawai apartment
After conducting surveillance, officers raided an apartment in the Rawai district. There they arrested the Russian suspect in his room and placed him in handcuffs.
As many fraud victims were from Surat Thani, police transferred the man to the station in Kanchanadit. He now faced legal proceedings there in connection with the alleged crimes.
Hunt for ringleaders
Investigators said they were hoping for further leads from questioning the detainee. Their stated goal was to identify and track down the masterminds behind the money-laundering system.
It was not the first case of this kind in Thailand. Only last month, police in Chon Buri arrested another Russian national who had withdrawn more than 4.6 million baht from ATMs.
Scam gangs hiding in luxury villas
According to authorities, criminal groups often operated from hidden locations using modern technology. In Bangkok, police raided two luxury villas where eleven South Korean nationals allegedly tricked victims over the phone.
Police said they were also intensifying action against illegal gambling websites and investment fraud operations. Just one day earlier in Chon Buri, more than 30 Indian nationals were arrested on suspicion of defrauding their compatriots of their savings.