Thai police searched six locations for more evidence against businessman Benjamin Mauerberger and his wife on Monday, after the Criminal Court approved arrest warrants for him and his wife.
Pol Lt Gen Natthasak Chaowanasai, chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), said police sought the warrants at the court last Thursday and searched six buildings and properties in central provinces on Monday.
Mr Mauerberger, a South African businessman with extensive connections in Thailand and Cambodia, left his Bangkok base last September and is now in Dubai, according to multiple reports.
Also known as Ben Smith, he is believed to have played a central role in helping to launder money for Cambodia-based scam syndicates.
Police have charged Mr Mauerberger, 47, and his Thai wife Cattaliya Beevor, 40, on two serious counts, fraud and money laundering causing about 1 billion baht in damages.
The alleged crimes were committed in 2016, when Mr Mauerberger allegedly lured victims to invest in several projects. They included:
- 700 million baht in now-delisted Pace Development real estate stocks,
- 255 million baht in buying a private jet for leasing,
- 126 million baht in a power plant investment.
The pair left Thailand last year after the break-up of the financial empires of Cambodian businessman Yim Leak and Chinese-Cambodian Chen Zhi, who founded the US-sanctioned Prince Group, according to Pol Lt Col Arthirat Thipcharoen, division 3 chief at the Crime Suppression Division.
Police searches at the six places led to the seizure of 13 items. There were six people at the premises.
Pol Lt Col Arthirat said police suspected the six were involved in transferring money from the victims to Mr Mauerberger and his wife, but none had been charged.
On Friday, the Civil Court ordered the confiscation of more than 13 billion baht in assets in four scam network cases linked to Mr Mauerberger and other accused scam bosses, at the request of the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
Pol Lt Col Arthirat said the latest police charges and evidence seizures on Monday relate to another case against Mr Mauerberger and his wife. He did not elaborate.
