Police in Bangkok have arrested a 55-year-old woman accused of opening bank accounts for a transnational money laundering network that had more than 5 billion baht in circulation.
Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) apprehended the woman identified only as Wimol, on Ngam Wong Wan Road in the Lat Yao area of Chatuchak district on Wednesday, said Pol Maj Gen Tasaphum Jaruprat, the ECD commander of the ECD.
The suspect was wanted under two arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court, on April 25 last year and on Feb 26 this year. The charges against her include colluding to defraud the public, conspiracy to launder money, inputting false information into a computer system, allowing others to use her bank accounts for technology crimes, and conspiracy to commit serious crimes linked to a transnational criminal organisation.
According to a police investigation, Ms Wimol had opened bank accounts for foreign nationals and got involved in laundering money for a transnational criminal syndicate that had more than 5 billion baht in circulation.
Police said she had previously served a jail term at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution for her role in a separate fraud case that resulted in 9 million baht in losses.
After she was released, ECD investigators tracked her movements and managed to arrest her while she was walking along Nam Wong Wan Road, said Pol Maj Gen Tasaphum.
During questioning, Ms Wimol reportedly confessed that she had been approached by an unidentified woman in 2023 to open bank accounts. The woman had persuaded her that the accounts would be used for an online business.
After she handed over the details of the accounts, the suspect said she lost contact with the woman. She later discovered that her accounts had been used for illicit activities.
She has been handed over to investigators at ECD Sub-division 3 for further legal proceedings.