Amlo seizes assets of 'Boom', family in bitcoin fraud case

Police take actor Jiratpisit 'Boom' Jaravijit (centre), 27, from the Crime Suppression Division to the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Aug 10. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) has seized assets worth 210 million baht from actor Jiratpisit “Boom” Jaravijit, his family members and other people involved in the 797-million-baht bitcoin fraud case.

Amlo revealed on Tuesday that its transaction committee resolved to seize the assets of key suspect Prinya Jaravijit, 35, elder brother of the 27-year-old actor, and his accomplices in the alleged digital currency fraud.

The group is accused of luring Finnish investor Aarni Otava Saarimaa into transferring 5,564 bitcoins to them for the purchase of the shares of three firms -- Expay Software, NX Chain Inc and DNA 2002 Plc -- and another digital currency called Dragon coins, with a promise of high investment returns.

Mr Saarima, 22, transferred the bitcoins to Mr Prinya, who allegedly did not spend all the money on the agreed investments, but stole much of it.

The Finnish investor, together with Thai businesswoman Chonnikan Kaewkasee, complained to the CSD in January that they were defrauded of bitcoins worth 797 million baht by Mr Prinya and his group.

Crime Suppression Division police began an investigation and found that Mr Prinya’s group had used money transferred into their bank accounts to purchase blocks of land in the names of Mr Prinya and other suspects.

The transaction committee concluded that the suspects had colluded in laundering money. They had used the money to acquire 64 assets worth 210 million baht in total. The assets included cash in bank accounts and land.

The committee resolved to confiscate the 64 items, plus interest. The assets were impounded for a period of up to 90 days, from Aug 14-Nov 11, Amlo announced.

The seized items included five bank accounts in the name of the younger brother, Mr Jiratpisit, and a block of land worth 43 million baht, also in his name. Two of the five bank accounts each had about 4 million baht in them.

The other items were bank accounts and land in the name of Mr Jiratpisit's elder brother Prinya, his elder sister Supitcha Jaravijita, 32, and other people.

They have 30 days to appeal against the seizure of their assets.