Two grocers were proxies for Chinese fraudsters

Police have found that two grocers in Bangkok acted as directors of 48 shell companies linked to a Chinese couple facing charges of running a 10-billionbaht international fraud scheme.

The two grocers, who had shops in Thon Buri, were paid 4,000 baht a month for each company they represented, said Pol Maj Gen Amnat Traipote, deputy commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).

The companies were legally registered with the Department of Business Development to engage in tour guide services, brokerage, wholesale, holding and property trade.

Thai shareholders held 51% of each company, and Chinese nationals the rest. The businesses each had 5 million baht in registered capital and were all headquartered at houses in the same luxury housing estate in Prawet district where the Chinese couple were arrested on Wednesday.

Police are now checking the tax records of the companies, Pol Maj Gen Amnat said on Thursday.

Shaoxian Su, 31, and his girlfriend Keyi Ye, 25, were arrested at their 67-million-baht house in The Palazzo Srinakarin estate in Prawet on charges of public fraud and money laundering.

Police say the couple lured people in many countries into fake investments in digital currencies and other assets, with damages estimated at 10 billion baht.

Police suspect companies in their network purchased 19 luxury houses in the same estate in Prawet and leased them out to other Chinese people.

On Wednesday, police impounded hundreds of millions of baht worth of assets from the couple.