The administrator of the "Luang Pi Justin Wat Do U Mean V2" Facebook page famous for mocking Buddhism has been arrested for disseminating inappropriate content and online fraud.
The man was arrested after 10 victims lodged complaints with the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) about the swindle. They complained that they had ordered and paid for T-shirts on the website and did not receive the items.
TCSD deputy commissioner Siriwat Dipho said on Thursday the suspect admitted to his wrongdoing.
"The administrator of this page is a bus conductor. He has huge debts and created the page to attract followers and sell products," Pol Col Siriwat said.
The suspect reportedly told police that he had created another webpage earlier and it had proved to be popular. He set up the "Luang Pi Justin Wat Do U Mean V2" page this year and managed to attract 40,000 followers by posting content criticising Buddhism and sometimes spreading fake news on national security just to draw people's attention.
After the page became famous, the suspect decided to start selling T-shirts with messages mocking the religion on his website. Subsequently, many followers placed orders and paid, but their orders were not fulfilled.
The suspect was charged with violating the 2007 Computer Crime Act and may face up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.