Bangkok, Thailand – Two Liberian nationals, Solomon Varney Gaddeh, 32, and Yousouf Cherif, 50, were arrested in Bangkok for allegedly scamming a Thai businessman out of US$90,000 (approximately 3 million baht) in a counterfeit banknote scheme connected to a gold-selling scam.
By Jaheim Tumu | [email protected]
According to Thong Lor Police Station Chief Col. Pansa Amarapitak, the two men were apprehended in the early hours of January while walking along Udomsuk Road in Bangkok’s Bang Na district.
Investigators said the suspects confessed to the scam but had already transferred the stolen funds overseas. Police believe that at least three other individuals were involved in the fraudulent operation and are continuing their investigation.
The Scam Incident
The case was brought to light after the owner of an iron and gold ore importing company reported that two African men had stolen US$90,000 from him during a gold transaction on January 2.
According to the businessman, a man named Richard, who reached out to him via Facebook, offered to sell him 2kg of gold at a significantly reduced price.
The businessman agreed to meet Richard in person and pay US$90,000 in cash for the gold. The meeting was arranged in the Ibis Bangkok hotel car park on Soi Sukhumvit 24.
However, Richard failed to appear at the location, instead directing the businessman to meet Gaddeh and Cherif, who he claimed were his associates. Richard allegedly told the victim over the phone that the two men would show him the gold bars.
When the businessman met Gaddeh and Cherif, he inspected the gold bars and found no signs of irregularity. The suspects then requested to count the $90,000 in cash that the businessman had placed in a bag on the front passenger seat of the car.
While the victim was distracted by a video call from Richard, the two men allegedly swapped the real currency with counterfeit bills.
After completing the exchange, Gaddeh and Cherif handed the money bag back to the businessman but claimed to have forgotten their passports. They asked to leave the car briefly, saying they would return in five minutes, taking the gold with them.
When an hour passed and the two men did not return, the businessman became suspicious. He checked the banknotes and noticed that they felt unusual. A visit to a nearby bank confirmed that the money was counterfeit.
Ongoing Investigation
The arrest of Gaddeh and Cherif has led police to further investigate the case, with suspicions that Richard and other accomplices may be involved in a larger scam network. The Bangkok Post reports that the suspects have already transferred the stolen funds abroad, and authorities are working to track down additional individuals linked to the fraud.
