Thai police have dismantled a major romance-scam syndicate following a targeted raid on a luxury riverside condominium in Nonthaburi province.
The operation, codenamed “Dark Room Crackdown,” resulted in the arrest of six Nigerian nationals who are accused of defrauding victims, primarily older Thai women, into transferring substantial sums of money.
Officers from the Royal Thai Police executed search warrants at three rooms near the Phra Nang Klao Bridge after investigations linked the foreign criminal network to highly suspicious financial transactions.
The suspects—identified as Denis, 23; Ejikeme, 24; Ibekwe, 29; Okorom, 26; Nwosu, 30; and Obielu, 35—reportedly attempted to evade arrest during the operation.
Some suspects refused to open their doors, prompting officers to force entry, while one individual attempted a balcony escape and another was caught hiding in a bathroom trying to text accomplices.
Upon searching the premises, authorities seized 18 mobile phones, three laptop computers, and three bank books. Investigators revealed that the devices contained extensive evidence, including romance-scam chat logs, deceptive scripts, and AI-generated profile images.
According to local media outlets The Nation Thailand and Thai PBS World, the syndicate operated by posing as high-profile foreign professionals, such as pilots, doctors, soldiers, and engineers.
They utilized platforms like Facebook Messenger, WeChat, TikTok, Line, and Zalo to cultivate romantic trust with their targets.
Once a bond was established, the scammers would claim that a valuable overseas parcel had been detained by customs, manipulating the victims into sending money for its release.
Despite entering the country on student visas, none of the suspects had a record of attending classes or holding regular employment, yet their bank accounts reflected substantial cash deposits.
Furthermore, five of the six men were found to have overstayed their visas by periods ranging from 695 to 1,560 days.
Following the raid, all six suspects were transferred to the Rattanathibet Police Station along with the confiscated evidence.
They have been initially charged with membership in a secret society and overstaying their permission to remain in Thailand, offenses to which authorities say the men confessed upon arrest.
Police officials noted that additional charges related to fraud and romance-scamming are expected to follow as investigators coordinate with victims and regional police stations handling connected complaints.
