Thai authorities have arrested six Nigerians accused of operating a romance scam syndicate from a luxury condominium in Nonthaburi province, Thailand.
The suspects were apprehended during a police operation codenamed “Dark Room Crackdown,” carried out on Thursday at a riverside condominium near Phra Nang Klao Bridge in Bang Kraso, Muang district. The raid followed investigations into foreign criminal networks linked to suspicious financial transactions.
According to Thai media outlet, The Nation Thailand, officers searched three rooms in the building under warrants issued by the Nonthaburi Provincial Court.
During the operation, police reportedly seized 18 mobile phones, three laptop computers and three bank books believed to contain evidence connected to online romance scams.
Investigators said the electronic devices contained alleged romance scam conversations, scam scripts and AI-generated profile images used to deceive victims.
The suspects were identified as Denis, 23; Ejikeme, 24; Ibekwe, 29; Okorom, 26; Nwosu, 30; and Obielu, 35.
Thai authorities said five of the six suspects had overstayed their visas, with the overstays ranging between 695 and 1,560 days.
Another Thai media platform, Thai PBS World, reported that the suspects entered Thailand on student visas but were allegedly not attending any academic institution.
“Police said that the six Nigerians entered Thailand on student visas, but none of them went to any college here, nor do they have any jobs, but their bank accounts show substantial deposits,” Thai PBS World reported.
The report added that some of the suspects allegedly resisted arrest during the raid.
According to investigators, officers were forced to break into some of the rooms after suspects refused to open the doors. One suspect reportedly attempted to escape through a balcony, while another was found hiding in a bathroom and allegedly trying to warn others through text messages.
Police alleged that the group operated fake online identities by posing as professionals such as pilots, lawyers, engineers, soldiers and doctors on social media platforms including Facebook Messenger, TikTok, WeChat, Line and Zalo.
Investigators said the syndicate allegedly built emotional relationships with victims online before introducing fake emergency situations to extort money from them.
According to The Nation Thailand, the suspects would allegedly tell victims that parcels sent from overseas had been seized by customs officials and request money for clearance and release. Most of the victims were said to be older Thai women.
All six suspects were transferred to Rattanathibet Police Station along with the seized items.
They were initially charged with membership of a secret society and overstaying permission to remain in Thailand. Police said further charges linked to romance scam offences may be added after investigations involving victims and other police stations handling related complaints.
Authorities also claimed that the suspects admitted to the initial charges at the point of arrest.
The latest arrests come months after another major crackdown involving Nigerians in Thailand.
In January, Thai police arrested 13 suspects, including 11 Nigerians and two Ivorians, during a separate raid on a suspected romance scam syndicate operating from a luxury condominium in the Muang Thong Thani area.
According to Thailand News, investigations into that case began after a Thai woman reported being defrauded by a man she met on Facebook posing as a Chinese engineer identified as “Bingwen Fu.”
Police said the suspect allegedly built a romantic relationship with the victim before claiming he could not access funds needed for a construction project. The victim reportedly transferred more than two million baht into accounts later linked to the syndicate.
Thai authorities said investigations later uncovered a wider organised fraud network involving scammers, money withdrawers and account recruiters operating from a condominium in Nonthaburi.
During that operation, police reportedly seized 34 electronic devices, including laptops and smartphones believed to contain evidence of coordinated online fraud schemes involving impersonation of wealthy European and Asian nationals.