A 30-year-old Chinese woman, identified only by her surname Xie, has been arrested in Thailand after escaping for almost two years on charges of fraud of over 15 lakh yuan (about Rs 1.77 crore). Zee, who allegedly underwent plastic surgery to alter her appearance, was wanted for operating a scheme promising victims airline jobs in exchange for large payments.
Thai immigration police detained him after receiving a tip from Bangkok residents who saw him repeatedly wearing face coverings and a niqab, raising suspicions of illegal immigration. South China Morning Post Informed.
On October 7, police arrested Zee when she came down from her apartment to take a food delivery. She failed to present a valid passport and was found to have overstayed her 15-day visa on arrival by 650 days after entering Thailand in late 2022.
Zee’s criminal activities reportedly began about a decade ago. Between 2016 and 2019, she allegedly defrauded at least six people out of 1.52 million yuan by building relationships with major airlines and offering jobs to aspiring flight attendants. The victims included his cousin, whom he convinced to lend 52,000 yuan (Rs 6.13 lakh) to a friend in Japan on the pretext of helping him buy a watch. Zee promised a reward for this favor, but her cousin recovered only a small portion of the debt and later discovered that Zee’s flight attendant image was a fabrication.
Thai authorities revealed that Xie had an Interpol Blue Notice, indicating his status as an international fugitive. According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese authorities requested this notice after tracking his fraudulent activities in 2014.
Reports suggest that Zee may have used some of his ill-gotten gains for plastic surgery in an attempt to avoid arrest. The Thai Immigration Bureau Division has confirmed that Xie will be punished under Thai law for visa violations before being deported to China. His case is similar to that of Lao Rongzhi, a notorious Chinese fugitive who was arrested in 2019 after evading capture for 20 years through aliases and multiple surgeries.
