KRABI, THAILAND – Thai police said they dismantled a suspected network of shell companies in a major raid on a popular tourist destination, arresting an Israeli woman and two Thai nationals.
Israeli woman allegedly used fake firm to hide income
Investigators searching for illegal business structures in southern Thailand reported that they uncovered a significant case involving a woman from Israel. She was accused of using a fake company to conceal her real earnings.
According to police, the company officially claimed to offer courses in make-up and nail design. In reality, she was alleged to have produced and sold pornographic content on the OnlyFans online platform.
Dark business behind colorful facade
Officers raided an office building in the Müang Krabi district and said they made a bizarre discovery. On the second floor, they found what they described as a completely staged office.
Inside were broken computers and advertising signs for more than 100 different companies. This setup apparently existed only to deceive inspectors and create the appearance of business activity.
Large strawman network uncovered
Behind this facade stood an accounting firm that, according to police, systematically used Thai nationals as strawmen. More than 500 companies in Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani were reportedly linked to this structure.
At a single address, up to six shell firms were registered at the same time. Police arrested two Thai citizens who were suspected of extensively helping foreigners to circumvent laws.
Authorities pursue those behind the scheme
The operation involved officers from immigration support, as well as officials from the tax department and the Ministry of Labour. They seized boxes of documents that were said to prove illegal stays and undeclared work.
Investigators were now examining the financial flows of the entire network in the south of the country. The case concerned allegations of tax evasion and violations of the law governing foreign company formation.
Threat to Thailand’s economy contained?
Thai police described the case as a major blow against a network that had exploited legal loopholes without restraint. Such illegal structures were said by the authorities to cause serious harm to the country’s legitimate economy.
At the same time in Phuket, an Israeli man was arrested who allegedly ran a travel agency illegally through Thai nationals. Officials stated that the pursuit of criminal strawman operations would continue relentlessly.