Chinese wine fraudster arrested in Bangkok

A Chinese man, identified only as Ming, was arrested in Bangkok after fleeing his country, where he is wanted on fraud charges after defrauding wine retailers of CNY 2 million.

Thai authorities have detained a man in Bangkok who appears to have fled China to avoid arrest.

The man, identified only as Ming, was arrested in Bangkok for working illegally and overstaying his visa post office in Bangkok reported.

The suspect, a 42-year-old man, was detained by authorities in the lobby of a hotel in the Chatuchak district, immigration officials said on Friday. The arrest took place following information provided to the Thai immigration office about a foreigner who appeared to be Chinese working and staying illegally in Bangkok.

According to immigration police, he organized private tours for Chinese tourists visiting the city and was detained while checking in clients at a nearby hotel. He was believed to be staying at an apartment building in the Ramkhamhaeng district.

When asked to provide legal documents, officers determined that his visa had expired on February 3.

According to Chinese authorities, Ming is wanted for crimes related to fraud committed in China last January, where he posed as a sales manager for a wine company. He is said to have defrauded retailers by offering to sell rare wines to them at a 10% discount. However, according to Chinese authorities, after receiving the money, the wine was never delivered to retailers. Victims lost about CNY 2 million (£216,559), immigration officers said.

Last year, researchers created an AI tool to detect wine fraud by tracing compounds found in wine down to specific castles. This may result in a reduction in the number of counterfeit wines on the market. Read more about it here.