Thai police have arrested six Nigerian nationals accused of running an AI-powered deepfake romance scam operation from a luxury condominium in Nonthaburi Province, near Bangkok.
Authorities said the arrests followed an earlier cocaine trafficking investigation that uncovered suspicious financial links connected to the suspects and several foreign nationals living in upscale apartments along the Chao Phraya River.
The investigation reportedly began in April after Thai police arrested a Nigerian suspect identified as Patrick and three others over alleged drug trafficking activities. During that raid, officers seized assets estimated at 2.5 million baht.
According to investigators, financial records traced during the drug probe later led authorities to a riverside condominium near Phra Nangklao Bridge in Nonthaburi. Police said several foreign occupants in the building were living in groups under student visas despite allegedly not attending school or holding legitimate jobs.
Thai authorities executed search warrants on three condominium units on May 22. Police claimed the suspects refused to cooperate when officers arrived, forcing security operatives to break into the apartments.
Videos circulating on social media platform X showed officers forcing entry into one of the units before arresting the suspects inside.
During the operation, one suspect allegedly attempted to flee through a balcony, while another was reportedly found hiding inside a bathroom while sending warning messages to people in neighbouring apartments.
Police recovered 18 mobile phones, three laptops and three bank passbooks from the apartments. Investigators said some devices were still connected to active chats with alleged scam victims during the raid.
According to Thai police, the group specialised in romance scams targeting older Thai women using AI-generated faces and manipulated video calls to create fake identities online.
The suspects allegedly posed as pilots, American military officers, doctors and engineers to build emotional relationships with victims before requesting money through fabricated emergencies and fake package delivery stories.
Authorities said the syndicate often convinced victims that expensive gifts or parcels had been seized by customs officials and needed clearance payments before release.
Investigators also claimed they found prepared scripts containing sexually explicit conversations allegedly designed to emotionally manipulate victims into sending money. Police believe the operation relied heavily on artificial intelligence tools to produce realistic Western-looking faces for video interactions.
The six suspects are currently facing preliminary charges related to illegal association and immigration overstays, while Thai authorities say more fraud-related charges are expected as investigations continue.
