Daryl Cai Younghui (left) was arrested on Jan 16 at Phuket International Airport as he was about to catch a flight to Singapore. - THAIRATH
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Two 32-year-old Singaporean men who are linked to separate offences were arrested in Thailand over the past week.
According to the Bangkok Post, Daryl Cai Younghui, who is linked to a Ponzi scam involving investment scheme Forex-3D in Thailand, was arrested on Monday (Jan 16) at Phuket International Airport as he was about to catch a flight to Singapore.
He is said to have been a close associate of Apirak Kothi, the founder of the scheme that allegedly resulted in losses of 2.4 billion baht (S$96 million) to its victims.
Cai, who had been living in Thailand for more than 10 years, was reported to have fled to Singapore on Oct 25, 2022 after he was hit with charges in Thailand, which include colluding to obtain loans to defraud, public fraud and putting false information into a computer system.
The director-general of Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation said Cai had been taken from Phuket to Bangkok on Monday, and that it would object to his request for bail, as he was a flight risk.
Cai reportedly appeared on a talk show on Jan 11 with his wife, who claimed on the programme that she was not involved in the Forex-3D scheme. She also said Cai had returned to Thailand to try to prove his innocence in any crimes linked to the scheme.
According to the Department of Special Investigation, the scheme involved the use of the website www.forex-3D.com as a channel to lure investment in foreign exchange by offering returns of 60 to 80 per cent.
Meanwhile, another Singaporean, Ong Jian Zhen, who is suspected of hacking multiple accounts on social media platforms in Singapore, was arrested at a condominium in the Huai Kwang district of Bangkok on Jan 12.
According to the Bangkok Post, he was arrested for using a fake passport to enter Thailand on Oct 26, 2022. But he escaped after he was released on bail. An arrest warrant was issued for him on Dec 19.
A 28-year-old Thai woman was arrested with Ong at the condominium unit, with officers also seizing drugs that included a sachet of crystal methamphetamine and two sachets of ketamine.
The Straits Times has contacted the Singapore police about both cases.
