Mysterious woman extorts ฿10 million from Icon Group, leveraging high-level connections. Police seize Boss Paul’s phone, believed to contain critical evidence, but cops await the password as the investigation into fraud, money laundering, and corruption widens.
A mysterious woman with powerful connections extorted money from the Icon Group bosses from February to May this year. The woman, who claimed to be a financial analyst, managed to secure a ฿10 million payment from terrified bosses just after approaching the Consumer Protection Police. Afterwards, she squeezed additional payments, all of which were made through a foundation.
The revelation comes as the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) currently has the seized smartphone of Warathaphon “Boss Paul”. This is thought to contain audio clips of the boss, who was approached by a later associate of the Palang Pracharat Party. However, the police have not yet opened the phone, as the suspect is the only one with the PIN code and is currently in quarantine.
It comes as the total damages figure in the widening Icon Group public fraud case mounts. On Sunday it was confirmed that the driver of Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul has come forward. At length, the mysterious Mr. Ek had handed over a second smartphone used by the man behind the collapsed firm to police.
Warathaphon’s phone holds key evidence in Icon Group public fraud case, but it remains locked for now
Mr. Ek is believed to have brought the smartphone to Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) Chief Police Lieutenant General Charoonkiat Pankaew.
Crucially, Mr. Ek confirmed that Boss Paul had used his phone to record and store audio clips from influential people, or indeed people who threatened the Icon Group. It is understood that the smartphone is locked, and police will have to seek the password from Boss Paul.
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This will not be possible for some days as the accused is in quarantine at Bangkok Remand Prison. Meanwhile, one of the voices suspected to be on the phone, a person associated with the Palang Pracharat Party and its leader General Prawit Wongsuwan, is to be summoned by police for questioning.
The same individual was expelled from the party at a crisis meeting on Friday.
Palang Pracharat party figure expelled as link to icon group public fraud case is suspected
This is understood to be due to his possible links to the scandal. At the same time, people within the Palang Pracharat Party have pointed out that the person of interest was not a member of the party when the conversations took place.
At length, these appear to revolve around paying money to a “deity” for protection. In this case, the “deity” is understood to be the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, which is also being investigated.
In particular, a number of unidentified officials at the agency are being reviewed by police. While police await the password from Boss Paul’s seized phone, the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) is examining all smartphones and digital devices from the Icon case.
These include devices seized from the firm’s offices and those of the 18 bosses, 11 men, and 7 women who are currently incarcerated.
Boss Paul’s driver says he protected the phone but quickly handed it over to police amid its rising importance
On Saturday, Mr. Ek, Boss Paul’s driver, said he had been asked to protect a smartphone. Therefore, it was his intention to eventually hand it over to the boss’s personal assistant.
Later, he saw his name in the media and rushed to contact Police Lieutenant General Charoonkiat. At this time, the phone is with the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), awaiting the password from Boss Paul.
Meanwhile, Police Major General Prasong Chalermphan, the Commander of the Anti-Corruption Division, is preparing to get involved in the case. If the clips as described exist and are recorded as evidence, a whole new investigation opens up beyond the public fraud case.
In short, this has implications at a national level. However, the only case where it is understood that Boss Paul was extorted involved a mysterious woman. In short, this woman, who claimed to be a share analyst, succeeded in obtaining ฿10 million from the Icon Group. This was in February this year.
Mysterious woman extorted ฿10 million from Icon Group, with possible high-level connections
At this time, police at a senior level had just been briefed about this development. On Monday, Police Lieutenant General Charoonkiat met with Anti-Corruption Division officers in Bangkok.
The woman appeared to have inside knowledge of the firm. Certainly, she also convinced the bosses that she had links to senior high-ranking officials.
In February, it is understood that she approached the Consumer Protection Division of the Royal Thai Police. Certainly her intention was to make a complaint. After that, Boss Paul made the decision to pay this woman ฿10 million in a lump sum.
Nonetheless, it is understood that the woman kept coming back for additional payments from the direct sales organisation, which has now been revealed as a fraudulent pyramid sales scheme.
A source briefing the media on this development would only confirm that the individual was not a politician. She extorted payments for three months, from February 2024 to May 2024.
Blackmailer’s connections believed to reach senior officials but not ministers, police to investigate
Notably, it is also understood that the woman’s contacts at a senior level did not extend to government ministers. Nonetheless, they were figures that the Icon Group feared could expose the alleged scam
Undoubtedly, these contacts were certainly capable of causing trouble for the Icon Group. In turn, the bosses paid up when squeezed. In addition, it is reported that money paid to the woman was paid through a foundation.
At length, police are determined to speak with this woman and get to the bottom of her story. In the meantime, legal representatives of the 18 bosses, including Boss Paul, remain confident. They still insist that they can successfully fight the charges against their clients.
They are, as yet, unaware of the widening nature of the investigation, including potential prosecution by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). At this time, there is a public fraud case where damages are growing exponentially.
Then there is the money laundering where police are looking at suspicious transfers, particularly into cryptocurrency. After that, there is a corruption investigation. At length, this appears to show that people with influence were aware of the ongoing fraud. However, instead of exposing it, they decided instead to profit from it.
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