Forex pair nabbed over B24m losses

A couple who provided online foreign currency exchange courses have been arrested in the northern province of Chiang Rai for allegedly duping people into investing about 24 million baht in a fraudulent forex investment scheme.

A combined team of officers from the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (IDMP) and the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT) arrested Mr Kanok, 36, and his wife Ms Thanyachanok, 37, outside a house in tambon Tha Sai of Chiang Rai’s Muang district on Wednesday, Pol Maj Gen Teeradet Thammasuthee, the IDMB commander, said yesterday.

The suspects’ surnames were withheld.

Pol Maj Gen Teeradet said the arrests followed numerous complaints by victims that Mr Kanok and his wife had posted video clips on social media offering instruction on forex investment and speculation.

The couple provided online courses under the name “K1FX Trader Club”, with the husband serving as a key instructor. Many individuals applied to learn from them.

In August 2019, the club advertised on Line and Facebook, claiming it had set up a fund company, guaranteeing a minimum monthly return of 5% on the principal with 100% capital protection. This attracted numerous victims to invest, resulting in over 24 million baht being poured into the scheme before the firm was shut down, Pol Maj Gen Teeradet said.

Police launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the two Chiang Rai natives.

Ms Thanyachanok was also wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court on Aug 26 last year for colluding in public fraud, putting false information into a computer system and fraudulent borrowing.

Mr Kanok was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the same court on March 17 this year on the same charges, said Pol Maj Gen Teeradet.

The woman denied all charges, while her husband confessed, police said.