Strong seller’s officials review losses exceeding B2 billion
PUBLISHED: 22 Oct 2024 at 16: 37
The iCon Group has received nearly 7, 000 fraud complaints, with losses totaling more than$ 2 billion.
A total of 6, 979 people filed charges with the Central Investigation Bureau’s ( CIB ) complaints center and police stations across the nation on October 10 through October 21, according to national police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet on Tuesday. Plaintiffs reported full problems of 2, 046 million ringgit.
Investigators were presently looking into the financial records and income flows of the online company, he claimed.
On Tuesday, authorities searched 11 more sites linked to the 18 company officials accused of common scams, looking for additional information, Pol Gen Kitrat said.
Warathaphon” Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, 41, the founder and CEO of The image Group, and 17 other defendants, including artists, were arrested last Wednesday on costs of common scams and putting false information into a computer program. All were held in custody.
The iCon Group, a well-known online retailer that uses its dealers and their agents to promote direct selling, is accused of operating a pyramid scheme.
According to Pol Gen Kitrat, investigators were gathering and compiling evidence to support requests for court arrest warrants for a second group of suspects.  ,
He promised to the media that anyone found guilty of an offense would face legal action, regardless of their identity.
When Pol Gen Kitrat inquired about the wife of Kantathavorn, a well-known TV host and actor, who was listed among the second group facing arrest warrants, he replied that he had not seen her name on the list of suspects. Additionally, no reports of her leaving the country were made.
Mr Kan is one of the 18 suspects already arrested.  ,
If the ongoing investigation revealed any other crimes, additional charges would be brought against the 18 suspects, according to the police chief.
When questioned about the allegedly trying to extort money from” Boss Paul,” he claimed that Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew, the deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, was looking into the matter.  ,
The police chief declined to reveal any details about the suspects. Mr. Warathaphon has confirmed that the audio recordings were his voice.
Authorities have to date seized assets, including luxury cars and other valuables, worth about 400 million baht from the 18 prime suspects.
Police are looking into reports of assets being transferred to those involved in the iCon fraud case, according to CIB deputy commissioner Pol Maj Gen Sophon Saraphat. The officers were examining evidence, particularly security camera footage, for clues and evidence of transfers of assets.  ,
Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, the head of the CIB, claimed an examination of Mr. Warathaphon’s ID card and details established that he was Thai and not a citizen of another country. According to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop, after conducting an investigation into the registration database, authorities discovered that his ID card had a beginning with the number 5, which was added after his name was lost during an initial survey and added later.