Chinese fugitive wanted over massive investment fraud arrested after hiding in Thailand
A Chinese fugitive accused of scamming thousands of victims has been arrested in Thailand.
Wang was wanted in China over an alleged fraudulent fundraising scheme that caused 1.4 billion yuan in damages.
He reportedly fled to Thailand through the northern border in Chiang Rai province in late 2024 after escaping to the crime-ridden Golden Triangle region in Southeast Asia.
Investigators said he had settled in Chiang Mai, where he hid for nearly two years before being arrested on August 24.
Officers launched a surveillance operation following intelligence that the fugitive was hiding in the city. They traced him to a rented house where he was reportedly living a reclusive life and rarely ventured outside.
Police monitored the property for several days before confirming that Wang's appearance matched the individual in the arrest warrant.
They detained him when he eventually stepped outside.
Cops asked to see his identification documents, which reportedly showed he had overstayed in Thailand for 549 days.
He allegedly admitted that he had failed to renew his visa.
Wang was charged locally with overstaying as authorities coordinated with the relevant agencies for further proceedings.
Immigration officials said the case was linked to an earlier fraud investigation in 2016, when Immigration Bureau Region 4 arrested another Chinese national over an alleged 500-million-baht scam at a tattoo parlour.
Investigators believe the two cases are connected to the same criminal network.
Police Major General Sarawut Khonyai, commander of Immigration Division 5, said Wang's arrest was part of an ongoing crackdown on transnational criminal networks and foreign fugitives using Thailand as a hiding place.
He added: ‘Officers in every area have been instructed to expedite investigations to track down foreigners engaging in illegal activities and take decisive action to ensure that Thailand does not become a safe haven for foreign criminals.'
