Filipino, 3 Thais caught using fake credit card

Filipino, 3 Thais caught using fake credit card

Leonardo Pajarillano Jnr, 39, a Filipino charged with credit card fraud, covers his face at a police press conference on May 26. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard)
Leonardo Pajarillano Jnr, 39, a Filipino charged with credit card fraud, covers his face at a police press conference on May 26. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard)

A Filipino and three Thais were caught using a fake credit card to buy duty-free goods worth over 700,000 baht as they were about to board a flight to Singapore at Suvarnabhumi airport on Monday.

The suspects -- Leonardo Pajarillano Jnr, 39, a Filipino national; his Thai wife Rungrawee Chaopaknam, 37, and Preeyanut Chaopaknam, 23; and Natthanai Rakyoo, 23 - were later shown at a press conference at police headquarters on Tuesday.

Police seized from them a fake credit card,  21 smart phones and other brand-name products such as sunglasses, belts, and bags worth over 700,000 baht.  

National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang said the suspects used the fake credit card to buy goods online from duty-free King Power shops. They went to collect the items at Suvarnabhumi airport and were apprehended shortly before boarding Jetstar flight 3K512 to Singapore about 9.25am on May 25.

Pol Gen Somyot said some employees at shops receiving credit card payments might have been involved by providing the gang with customers' credit card information.

He believed there were other similar gangs entering the country to use false credit cards. Police would expand the investigation.

Pol Col Pairot Rojjanachajorn, chief of Crime Suppression Division’s sub-division 2, said the arrest followed a tip-off from American Express Co that people had used a fake credit to buy goods online.

Police inquiries led to the arrest of the two men and two women at the airport, said Pol Col Pairoj.

The four suspects denied any involvement in a credit card scam. They claimed they had collected the  goods for other people. Police were not convinced and charged them with credit card fraud.

In Chiang Mai, a 36-year-old Chinese tourist was arrested at a hotel in Chiang Mai late Monday night for using a fake credit card to buy goods and services worth over three million baht, police said.

The suspect, whose was not identified, was detained following a complaint by the owner of Jinthana Resort at the popular Ban Thawai handicrafts village in Hang Don district.

The Chinese tourist had two accomplices who remained at large, according to police. They had used a fake credit card to buy products at the resort hotel and pay room service charges, Thai media reported on Tuesday.

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