Thai police recently arrested four Japanese nationals, including a former Yakuza member, identified as “Yamaguchi”, for allegedly operating scam centres in Cambodia and Vietnam, which preyed on victims in Japan.
Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, the police inspector-general, told the media today that the arrest of the four Japanese follows the receipt of information from Japanese police.
Yamaguchi lived in an expensive rented room in a luxurious condominium development on Sathorn Road and set up a company called “Last Samurai Janan”, last year. The business specialises in the global trading of expensive works of artworks, said Thatchai, adding that it is suspected of being a front for the laundering of money earned from the scam operations.
Three other Japanese nationals, wanted in Japan, were arrested along with Yamaguchi. More than 30 million baht in digital money was found in a digital wallet during the search of the condominium.
Thatchai said he expects the four Japanese to be extradited to Japan to stand trial in April.
He also said that police arrested another Japanese national, identified only as “Miyachita”, who is also wanted by Japanese police on theft charges, adding that Thai police have rescued two Japanese nationals as well, who had been lured to work in scam centres in Myanmar.
