Bangkok Post – Amlo seizes billions in 48 fraud cases

12,300 assets seized in latest hauls

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) has confiscated over 5 billion baht worth of assets in 48 cases related to fraud, online gambling, and corruption for the year to date.

Amlo secretary-general Theppasu Bavornchotidara and Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) assistant secretary-general Bhumivisan Kasemsook recently announced the results of this year’s 11th meeting of Amlo’s Transaction Committee.

They revealed that 12,300 assets, worth a total of 4.5 billion baht, had been seized in 48 fraud cases, including one involving Peempong Hiranprueck, a senior civil engineer at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) Public Works Department, and another case linked to the high-profile Kofuk online gambling network.

Sanga “Kofuk” Kungwan is believed to have fled earlier this year, facing charges related to an 18-billion-baht tax fraud and gambling operation.

In Mr Peempong’s case, the official is accused of demanding a bribe from the owner of a golf course in Nong Chok district in exchange for arranging for the golf course to retain most of its land during a road construction project.

In another case, Pramual Saengkaewsri, head of the Ratchathewi district office’s revenue section, accepted bribes from business operators, allowing them to avoid paying property and land tax. Amlo has seized 47 million baht in assets from both officials.

In the Kofuk case, Amlo confiscated a total of 372 assets, including cash, jewellery, land, and bank accounts, worth a combined 963 million baht, from Sanga “Kofuk” Kungwan and other people associated with him. Additionally, 107 assets worth a total of 3.1 billion baht have been seized in several fraud cases where individuals lost money to scammers.

This includes a high-profile case linked to Apimuk Bamrungwong, a former major shareholder of More Return Plc (MORE), and his network, allegedly involved in the 800-million-baht manipulation of MORE’s stock last year, causing investors to lose their funds .

Another prominent case announced by Mr Theppasu involved a network of online gambling websites connected to former deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn.

Mr Theppasu said Amlo seized 400,000 baht worth of assets linked to the crime. However, Pol Gen Surachate is in the process of requesting the cancellation of the seizure, said Mr Theppasu.