THAILAND — A 32-year-old Singaporean man, Ong Jian Zhen, was arrested at a condominium in Bangkok after being involved in a series of hacks where he accessed other individuals’ social media accounts to make fraudulent online purchases. Thai authorities apprehended Ong on Thursday (Jan 12) at a condominium in the Huai Kwang district.

Alongside Ong, his 28-year-old Thai girlfriend, Ananyalak Chuenjai, was also taken into custody after police discovered a stash of illegal substances in their apartment. Authorities seized a sachet of crystal methamphetamine, two sachets of ketamine, and a packet of Erimin 5, a banned drug.

The Bangkok Post reported that Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had collaborated with Thai authorities to locate and arrest Ong. Ong had previously been detained by immigration police on Oct 26 for entering Thailand with a fake passport but was later released on bail, during which time he fled.

Pol Col Phadol Chandorn, superintendent of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, explained that Ong began hacking into social media accounts to purchase goods online, resulting in significant financial losses for numerous individuals.