An Australian couple was apprehended in Phuket on May 31 for allegedly defrauding people out of 2.5 million baht. Chinese citizen Gao Jianjia, 35, reported the incident to the Phaholyothin Police on May 29.
A suspect got in touch with him through the Telegram app after he had stated online that he was interested in buying cryptocurrency through Binance and had agreed to buy for the price of 2.5 million Thai Baht.
Jianjia withdrew 2.5 million baht in cash from his account after the two parties planned a meeting at a bank in Bangkok’s Lad Phrao neighborhood.
Later, he met a male foreigner. According to their online chat, the foreigner who identified himself as a representative received the bag of cash. It has been stated that he placed the bag of cash next to him on a chair.
However, the bag of cash disappeared as Jianjia was waiting for the digital money to be deposited into his account. Before leaving the area, the male foreigner denied knowing its whereabouts.
Police discovered a foreign lady taking the bag inside the bank after checking CCTV footage. The foreign couple may have collaborated to take the money bag before making their getaway to Phuket. On June 2, TPN Media was notified by the Metropolitan Police Bureau that they had detained Australian citizens Hinson Lily Jay, 28, and Galletly Joseph, 47. On May 31, authorities located the pair close to the Thalang Police Station.
At the time of publication, the suspects were still being held without having entered a plea or made a statement in response to the accusations.
