Crime

Australian Hells Angels Leader Busted in Bangkok of Fake Italian Passport

Rodrigo Elices, the Australian Hells Angels leader, was arrested at a luxury condominium in Bangkok after allegedly flying into Thailand on a private jet with a phoney Italian passport.

A remarkably clean cut. Rodrigo Elices, 31, also known as Elias, was detained on December 6, 2023, after flying into Bangkok with a fake passport and a 30-day tourist visa.

Rodrigo, who has a few tattoos, claimed to be an Italian named Gjini, according to Thai immigration, but a fingerprint check revealed he was supposedly an Australian motorcyclist at the centre of a heroin operation.

Immigration officials tracked him down to a posh apartment complex in Bangkok’s trendy downtown ThongLor district, where he was apprehended.

Thai investigators said Australian police informed them that Rodrigo was supposedly a significant player in a Hells Angels drug smuggling network and was facing charges for importing 14kg of methamphetamine.

Rodrigo was also wanted by authorities after a home in Kogarah was burned down in October 2022, severely injuring a 51-year-old man and reportedly exposing a narcotics ring.

Hells Angels in Thailand

According to Thai immigration, Rodrigo Elices (shown centre) claimed to be an Italian named Gjini, but a fingerprint check revealed he was supposedly an Australian Hells Angel motorcyclist at the centre of a heroin operation.

Detectives discovered 5.7kg of cocaine in the home, as well as $15,000 in cash and drug-manufacturing equipment. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the injured man and two others have been charged with drug crimes.

But Rodrigo allegedly fled Australia before cops could apprehend him.

Immigration officers showcased Rodrigos’ arrest at a news conference for Thai media, releasing shirtless photos of the Australian being questioned by officials.

He was handcuffed as detectives questioned him about his claimed links to narcotics syndicates and the purported phoney passport he used to flee to Thailand.

The clean-shaven purported Hells Angel biker, who has short hair and huge tattoos on his chest and stomach, was also pictured with immigration officers, who apprehended him.

An intricate infographic also detailed the immigration probe that revealed the false Italian’s identity as an Australian Hells Angel biker.

hells angels Thailand

Rodrigo is still a significant suspect in Australia as the [alleged] commander of the Hells Angels gang, which is [supposedly] a drug distribution network, according to Police significant General Phanthana Nuchanart, Immigration Bureau Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

He is purportedly wanted on drug and firearms smuggling charges, with an arrest warrant out for 38 counts, including 36 weapons charges, one for the 14kg of meth, and one for involvement in a transnational criminal organization.

‘He also has a criminal record of attacking officials and robbery,’ the commander-in-chief claimed. ‘The investigation team looked into it till they discovered Rodrigo Elices had [supposedly] fled to reside in a fancy condo in Bangkok’s Thonglor district.

‘They came in soldiers and went to [arrest] Rodrigo, and after inspecting the room, they [supposedly] uncovered Rodrigo Elices’ Australian passport and Gjini’s Italian passport.’

An intricate infographic lays out the immigration probe, supposedly identifying the false Italian as an Australian Hells Angel biker. Both passports appear to depict the same man.

Major General Nuchanart added: “Australian police are coordinating with Thai police, so he was always [allegedly] attempting to flee.”

Rodrigo has been kept in detention while awaiting trial on Thai immigration charges before being deported back to Australia.

He was most recently convicted of affray at the Sydney Down Centre and sentenced to nine months of intense community correction, which expired in August.

NSW Police claimed they had no information about the foreign arrest, and the Australian Federal Police directed any inquiries to DFAT.

The arrival of the famed motorcycle gang Hells Angels in Thailand has piqued the interest of both residents and tourists.

The Hells Angels’ presence in Thailand has caused a stir in the country’s social scene, as they are known for their distinctive logo and reputation for living outside the bounds of mainstream society.

Their unorthodox lifestyle, complete with motorcycle trips and distinctive dress, has injected a sense of mystery into Thai streets.

The Hells Angels’ actions in Thailand have sparked conjecture and controversy. While some see them as a free-spirited group of motorcycle enthusiasts, others are concerned about their possible involvement in illicit activities.

Reports of conflicts with police enforcement and their presence in certain nightlife areas have sparked debate about their impact on Thai society.

Crime

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested for Running Scam Call Center

Police in Northern Thailand have arrested a fellow officer as he was being ordained at a temple in Ngao district of neighbouring Lampang province.

Pol Lt Col Bandit Khonkan chief inspector from the Hang Dong police station was disrobed and taken to the Chang Puak station in Chiang Mai. He was arrested on charges of running a call centre scam gang in Chiang Mai Province.

According to Thai Media Chiang Mai Provincial Police Region 5 obtained an arrest warrant for Pol Lt Col Bandit on Friday from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for procuring illegal telecom equipment, setting up a station and using public airwaves to run a telecommunications business without permission.

Pol Lt Col Bandit reportedly told investigators that he was not the ringleader and was only a member of the gang with Chinese partners.

His arrest followed the apprehension of his 26-year-old daughter, Miss Wanuchapond, 26, and three others during raids at three housing projects in Chiang Mai on Friday, Pol Maj Gen Weerachon Boontawee, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5 told Thai media.

During the raids police police discovered around 12 GSM gateways, or SIM boxes, which are devices used for converting cellular networks into mobile phone numbers used domestically.

The chief inspectors daughter Miss Wanuchapond told the arresting officers that she was paid 8,000 baht a month at each of the three locations for renting thr rooms and monitoring devices.

She claimed she had no idea what the devices were and accepted the job because the pay was attractive.

Police investigators working with telecom regulators used a special tracking device to monitor the gang’s communications and learned that its base was in Myanmar opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The call center gang used the GSM gateways to make calls over the internet to scam people in Thailand out of million of baht.

The GSM gateways transmitting signals via SIM boxes to convert them into domestic phone numbers, duping victims into thinking they were being called from Thai government agencies.

Pol Maj Gen Weerachon said that each SIM box held 32 SIM cards, with a capacity of up to 300,000 calls a month. The seized devices had made fraudulent calls over 3.6 million times.

He said the their investigation is ongoing and they are working to track down the remaining conspirators, including Chinese and other Thai suspects.

Authorities are still deciding whether Pol Lt Col Bandit will be dismissed from the force, he said, adding that so far, no other officers are known to have been involved.

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Related Police News:

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Crime

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourists Over Home Invasions

Immigration police officers have arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with a series of home burglaries at luxury housing complexes in the Bangkok metropolitan area and Chiang Buri Province.

Pol Maj Gen Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press briefing that three of the suspects were apprehended in Nonthaburi Province and the fourth in South Pattaya, Chon Buri Province.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Colombians were charged with stealing conspiracy and seized around 3 million baht (US$82,500.00).

According to Pol Maj Gen Panthana, the criminals rode motorcycles through housing estates, scoping out the properties and waiting for the owners to depart before committing their crimes.

He stated that all four of the accused denied any involvement in the home break-ins, but the arresting squad discovered evidence that implicated them.

Police called to home invasion

Meanwhile, police were dispatched to a luxury housing development in Tambon Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, after a Chinese man was attacked during a house invasion.

When they arrived, they discovered the house owner, Mr. Qian Peng Yi, visibly scared and with marks from being tied up with a cable. He informed police that three Chinese males broke into his home at 9 p.m., one of whom brandished a gun at him and directed him to his bedroom.

They bound his hands and feet, gagged him with fabric, taped his head, and forced him into the bed. The intruders then attempted to compel him into transferring 10 million baht in cryptocurrencies to them, endangering the life of his 33-year-old cousin who was in a second-floor bedroom.

While they scoured the house in search of riches, Mr. Peng Yi managed to flee and hide; he subsequently observed them leave with his cousin. Officials investigated the property and analyzed security camera footage from the incident and surrounding areas.

Around 9 p.m., a 30-year-old van driver came at the Bang Lamung police station after being contacted by an agency to carry Chinese customers from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The driver informed authorities that he was supposed to pick them up at a motel about a kilometer from the Chinese businessman’s home. He then drove them to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, arriving at 1 a.m. and receiving 1,800 baht.

The driver took a snapshot of the group smoking at the airport gate and identified one of them as the victim’s cousin. Police suspected coordination between her and the three suspects in her cousin’s heist, who all departed Thailand on the same aircraft.

Other Bangkok News:

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Crime

Son of Thailand’s Leading Legal Scholar on Corruption Arrested for Running Online Gambling Network

The son of a former senator and leading economist and expert on corruption and gambling in Thailand has been arrested for on charges of running an online gambling network and its payment system.

Police from Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) have confiscated assets worth more than (US$ 11.1 million) 400 million baht.

Narote Piriyarangsan, 33, was arrested following crackdowns in three sites around the city, according to Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of the police Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

Mr Narote’s father, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, is an economist who has written articles and books about corruption and gambling. He was one of the appointed senators that were investigating the government’s intention to legalize casino gaming before their terms expired.

Police also detained 39-year-old Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the couple for operating an internet gambling service and money laundering.

According to the Bangkok Post, police seized two desktop computers, one laptop computer, 14 mobile phones, 21 bank passbooks, 53 ATM cards, and four high-end cars — a Ferrari 926 GTS, an Aston Martin, a Lexus, and a Subaru — totaling more than 400 million baht.

Police launched the inquiry after discovering the online gambling site, which accepted funds via an automatic deposit-withdrawal system through bank accounts and deposits in the AskMePay system. Players scanned the VPay QR code as well as the QR codes for Heng Online 888 or Heng Pay Company.

Police also discovered that payments received via QR code scans were transferred to the account of Heng Pay Co and then to the gambling website’s mule accounts using AskMePay, which did not use banks’ face recognition scanning. An inquiry indicated a monthly turnover of approximately 5 billion baht.

According to investigators, the website has been up and running for around four years, with the payment mechanism in use for roughly eight months.

According to Pol Maj Gen Athip, Mr Narote owns the gaming website’s payment systems and is the director of Heng Pay Co. After gathering evidence, authorities requested arrest warrants for 14 people.

Thailand does not allow almost any kind of gaming. Even though the law doesn’t say anything specific about online gaming, it is still considered gambling. The country has pretty strict rules about gambling. Thai punters can bet on the national lottery and horse races, but they can’t bet on any other types of games.

But it’s not a secret that there is a huge illegal gaming business in Thailand, even though it’s illegal.

The illegal casinos, online betting shops, underground lotteries, and pop-up bookies that take bets on everything from cockfights to Muay Thai make a shadow economy that is worth billions of dollars every year.