Thailand’s Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), acting through its transaction committee, has decided to pursue the confiscation of assets worth roughly 13 billion baht across four major cases involving multiple suspects, including Cambodian nationals and their associates.
According to AMLO, the committee resolved on Wednesday to ask public prosecutors to seek court approval for the seizure of assets valued at a combined 13.074 billion baht. The agency said the move was necessary because those connected to the frozen assets were unable to demonstrate that the property had been obtained through lawful means.
One of the largest cases concerns allegations of public fraud involving individuals identified by AMLO as “Ms Taengthai, Mr Leak Yim, Mrs Wirinya, Mr Smith Ben, Ms Katreeya and associates.” The names appear to refer to Cambodian businessman Yim Leak and lobbyist Benjamin Mauerberger, who is also known as Ben Smith. In that case alone, authorities are seeking the confiscation of 68 assets worth about 12.12 billion baht. The items include land holdings, condominiums, vehicles, yachts, and bank deposits.
A second case involves 96 assets with an estimated value of 345 million baht that investigators believe are tied to online scam operations, human trafficking, and money laundering conducted through digital currencies. Thai authorities linked this case to Chen Zhi, the Chinese-born founder and chairman of Prince Group, a major business conglomerate operating in Cambodia. The assets identified in the investigation include land, cash, luxury goods, and decorative valuables. Reports say Chen was extradited to China in early January to face prosecution.
The third case centers on Cambodian businessman Kok An and a group of associates in connection with arrests tied to transnational crime and money-laundering investigations. In this matter, AMLO is seeking the confiscation of 89 assets worth approximately 560 million baht, including parcels of land and money held in bank accounts.
The fourth case concerns an investment scam network accused of using the LINE messaging platform to deceive victims. Authorities estimate the assets connected to this operation at around 46 million baht, consisting mainly of cash and bank deposits.
Taken together, the four cases highlight the scale of Thailand’s ongoing efforts to target financial assets linked to fraud, cybercrime, trafficking, and cross-border money laundering networks operating in the region.