Pattaya Daily News

Published : October 07, 2010 :: 12:10:35 [ 11,651 views ]

Local police have arrested two foreign men over their involvement in a popular ‘black money’ scam being propagated in Pattaya. The offenders were arrested after arriving at the scene to deliver goods involved with the scam to a potential customer come informant.

Pattaya, the 6^th of October 2010 [PDN]: At approximately 4:30pm on Wednesday, Colonel Nunthawut Suwanla-ong (Pattaya Police Superintendent) along with Lieutenant Colonel Tarathep Toopanich (Pattaya Police Deputy Superintendent) and Transnational Crime Suppression officers revealed the arrests of two foreign men involved with a ‘black money’ operation in Pattaya.

Using a warrant issued by the Pattaya District Court officers arrested Mr. James Nier [34] and Mr. Davis Jeans [42], both Liberian nationals, in Soi Yensabai South Pattaya. The pair was arrested as they arrived to deliver items involved in the scam to another foreign man, Mr. Hans Josef Rinehart Winter [59], a German national.

The two men were arrested in possession of two metal suitcases containing various chemicals, powders, green paper (banknote sized), a counterfeit US dollar note, bank account book, ATM card, a gold ring and two watches.

According to police, Mr. Winter had been approached by the two Liberian’s who had detailed a potentially lucrative proposition to him regarding changing concealed or dyed U.S. currency back into its original state. The details surrounding their scam story were not revealed, however Mr. Winter, promised a large cut of the proceeds, decided to invest with the men, organising the aforementioned meeting.

Paying approximately Bt1 million to the two men, for various chemicals and equipment to aid in the process, Mr. Winter was due to pay a further Bt200,000 to the men upon receiving the merchandise. However, he decided to inform several friends of his new endeavours to which he was told of the prevalent scam and as such informed local police of the incident.

Colonel Suwanla-ong revealed that their was a third offender involved in the scam who had evaded apprehension, revealing that officers were currently investigating into his whereabouts. He also explained that the existence of such gangs operate on the greed of their victims and will remain until people are informed of their dealings, as with the success of this investigation.

Note: The popular scam, known as the ‘black money’ scam, involves victims paying advanced money for the purchase of various chemicals that can be used to turn money covered in a black ink (usually explained as an attempt to avoid customs) back to its original state.

In most cases the scam is perpetrated under the pretence that a lot of cash has been concealed in this way (with black ink) and that the perpetrators need a third-party (victim) to aid in covering the cost for the necessary chemicals to change it back. The perpetrators had obviously prepared a sample for the victims, which genuinely removes the dye/ink from the bank note and is supposed to ‘hook’ the observer into investing.

In most cases, the victim pays a substantial upfront payment for the aforementioned equipment, before being delivered with nothing more than blank paper and a random, inexpensive liquid, possibly soft drink and the offenders flee with the genuine cash investment.

Related Features: Black money, black heart

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Type : Crime News
Story : Yanwarrut
Photo : Yanwarrut

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