BANGKOK — A 32-year-old Singaporean suspected of involvement in a major ponzi scheme was arrested at Phuket International Airport on Monday (Jan 16), according to Thai authorities.
Daryl Cai Younghui was nabbed by the local police as he was about to catch a flight to Singapore, police captain Wissanu Chimtrakul from the country’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said.
Cai is said to be a close associate of Apirak Kothi, the founder of a ponzi scheme that allegedly caused a total 2.4 billion baht (S$ 95.9 million) in losses to at least 9,000 victims.
The scam involved enticing people to invest in foreign exchange by offering a return rate of around 60 to 80 per cent.
The website www.forex-3D.com was used as an advertising channel for the scam.
Describing the scam as causing “massive amount of damage”, local authorities said that the case is currently being investigated.
Pol Maj Yuthana Praedam, director-general of the DSI, said the department sent Cai from Phuket to Bangkok on Monday.
The department would object to Cai’s request for bail due to him being a serious flight risk, Pol Maj Yuthana said.
He said the DSI would proceed to take legal action against Cai but gave no indications if any would be taken against his wife, Italian-Thai model Sarah Casinghini.
Officers had contacted Ms Casinghini and Cai’s lawyer to request that he report to the police and acknowledge his charges last Friday.
However, Cai did not show up, claiming that his…
