$6 Million Bitcoin Scam Suspect Caught at Thai Airport Before Takeoff

The man, identified as Tianwei, was stopped at around 6 AM local time while attempting to board a Lion Air flight to Singapore.

According to a report by Khaosod English, officers detained him at the international terminal, acting on tips that he planned to flee after a fraud complaint was filed in May.

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The case began when two Chinese nationals reported to police in the Mae Sai district that they had lost about 200 million baht (roughly $6.15 million) worth of Bitcoin following a business meeting. The Chiang Rai Provincial Court responded by issuing an arrest warrant on May 16.

Investigators believed Tianwei might try to leave the country, so they alerted airport authorities at Don Mueang. Officers began monitoring departures and waited for him to show up.

When Tianwei arrived at the terminal, immigration officers confirmed his identity and took him into custody. He spoke English during the arrest, and an officer at the checkpoint, Sergeant Suwaphan Utsaha, helped explain the situation to him.

The arrest put an end to a month-long search linked to a major cryptocurrency theft reported in northern Thailand.

Recently, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a man named Rahul Arora in New Delhi and seized around $327,000 in cryptocurrency. How did the case unfold? Read the full story.