The Crime Suppression Division (CSD) is seeking arrest warrants for six more suspects in an alleged bitcoin scam which cheated Finnish and Thai investors out of 745 million baht after already nabbing actor Jiratpisit Jaravijit in relation to the crime.
CSD investigators said some of the suspects are closely connected to the Jaravijit family, including Mr Jiratpisit's elder brother Prinya, while another is a well-known investor on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
Mr Jiratpisit, known among his fans as "Boom", was arrested on Thursday during a film-shoot at Major Cineplex Ratchayothin after the Criminal Court issued a warrant on a charge of collusion to launder money.
The 27-year-old actor denied the allegation, but according to a source close to the investigation, the CSD found over 21 million baht had been transferred to his bank account.
Still, Mr Jiratpisit allegedly told officers his account was "used by my brother".
The money was part of the 745 million baht Finnish national Aarni Otava Saarimaa and Thai businesswoman Chonnikan Kaeosali gave to the suspects in the form of bitcoins after the pair were allegedly lured into making investments in companies and SET markets, according to investigators.
Their bitcoin transactions were first stored in e-wallets, the online platform the suspects made to facilitate electronic transactions.
The "coin" amounts were later gradually sold, allowing the suspects to gain money from the transactions, police said, adding that the money was eventually withdrawn and wired to the suspects' bank accounts.
Bitcoin is increasingly being exploited in sophisticated frauds because crypto transactions are difficult to trace until the money is withdrawn, the Anti-Money Laundering Office warned earlier.
According to the same source, investigators have not yet found evidence regarding the dubious money trails of two of the six suspects but believe the two colluded with others to commit fraud because of their close connections with one suspect in the group as well as Mr Prinya.
The officers have so far found evidence that 745 million baht was transferred into the bank accounts of another four suspects as well as Mr Jiratpisit, Mr Prinya and Mr Jiratpisit's elder sister Suphitcha.
However, the two victims insist they lost 797 million baht to the gang.
The pair claim they were fooled by Mr Prinya and other suspects in June last year into buying shares as well as trading another type of digital currency called Dragon Coins, and say they have never received dividends, profits or even been invited to attend meetings among shareholders.
Their Dragon Coin transactions were made in August last year when the victims were asked to transfer 100 million Hong Kong dollars (about 440 million baht) to a company in Macao.
Mr Prinya allegedly told the two they could convert their money into bitcoin and complete the transactions by transferring it to their e-wallets, according to investigators
Mr Prinya and Ms Suphitcha, who are still at large, are currently being sought under arrest warrants earlier issued by the court.
Reportedly, CSD officers found that more than 111 million baht had been transferred to Mr Prinya's bank account and over 140 million baht to Ms Suphitcha's bank account.
"Ms Suphitcha has recently contacted police via a go-between to ask for surrender and bail details," CSD chief Pol Maj Gen Maitree Chimcherd said yesterday.
However, the suspect did not say when she will turn herself in.
Also yesterday, the Criminal Court decided to temporarily release Mr Jiratpisit on bail set at two-million-baht because the suspect is not a flight risk and there is no evidence he joined other suspects to lure the victims, according to Pol Maj Gen Maitree.
Earlier on Thursday Mr Prasit Srisuwan, a major investor in the SET market, met deputy CSD chief Chakrit Sawatdi after he was suspected of having a role in the scam.
Pol Col Chakrit, who is leading a probe into the case, said yesterday investigators have "reliable information" to believe that Mr Prasit had some involvement.
A check of three companies into which the two victims made investments found connections with Mr Prasit and the Jaravijit family, Pol Col Chakrit said.
